Mystic Falls: Humanity Part I
by LitLover 101
Summary: Ch. 17 Un-edited With Jake gone, Hope struggles, finding strength in her friends while she works to bring her love home. Jo finds herself in peril as the target of MF's new Big Bad. Sandy fights to come back from the Prison World. History is catching up with the kids and their parents as the humans and the supes clash. No one is safe.
1. Chapter 1

With Jake gone, Hope struggles, finding strength in her friends while she works to bring her love home. Jo finds herself in peril as the target of MF's new Big Bad. Sandy fights to come back from the Prison World. History is catching up with the kids and their parents as the humans and the supes clash. No one is safe.

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Legacies**_** it belongs to the CW, Julie Plec and the usual suspects…**

**Hello, my lovely readers. Welcome to beginning of the end of this story. Thankfully this book is so big it had to be split in two. On with the show…**

Prologue: You Can't Forget!

_Townsend_

A squawking sound emitted from the walkie-talkie on Townsend's belt. He thought these days they should be using embedded-sound-devices that feed communications right into your ear, but his bosses liked the old toys. Some people were just slower to the new ways. The idea made Townsend smirk. One day he would be the one calling the shots.

"Murphy!" he shouted to one his men, who stood at the end of the hallway. "Attention!" he shouted.

Murphy's old training, from his very first days at the recruitment camp made the man jerk like a puppet on strings, and Murphy's eyes popped open. His head rotated to Townsend, a shocked, and almost scared look on his face. It made Townsend smile even wider. He liked to keep the other men on their toes.

"You plan on letting one of these sneak up on you and rip your tongue out? Huh?" Townsend marched over to Murphy, and pressed his own pale features into the darker man's face.

Murphy shook his head rapidly, his eyes sliding to the floor before training made him look Townsend in the eye. There was only one little step between them. Townsend had a badge that gave him clearance to the place upstairs, while poor Murphy still had to watch the monsters in the basement.

"I can't hear you, Murphy!" Townsend shouted into Murphy's face.

Murphy's mouth opened. "I'm sorry, sir. Will not happen again, sir." He slapped his heels together, and stood erect, ready for battle.

Townsend sneered and moved away from Murphy. He walked over to one of the cells and leaned close to the bars. "Good morning, honey, sleep well?"

The black-haired girl lifted her head and sneered back at him, her dark eyes glowing with malice. "Sleep better if I didn't have to wake up to look at your face."

"Oh, you wound me," Townsend patted his chest, right over his heart, and grinned at the girl. "You hungry? I can get you a plate. You can even eat with me. If you promise to play nice, this time." He leered at the girl who turned her head from him and shook it in disgust.

"Even if I liked boys, you'd be the last one I'd ever let touch me alive," the girl spat out, turning her head to look Townsend in the eye.

Laughing, Townsend replied, "We can always cure ya of that problem. Since you refuse to play nice, and give up your little buddies. Just one name, and it can all be over, Park."

Shaking her short black locks, the girl placed her head on her knees. End of conversation.

"Fine." Townsend turned to Murphy. "You two enjoy each other's company. I've got real work to do." He glanced at the nameplate by the cell. They chose to forgo the prisoner protocol of using numbers. They wanted others to know that these other creatures thought they were human, too, used human names, wore human clothes, and ate human food. But at the end of the day, they weren't, and they paid for their pretense.

_Penelope_ _Park_ was written on the nameplate. Weeks. Months. Or a year from now, it would have a new name, and a new occupant. Not until the newbie took a good look at Pen's name. They needed to know her name. They needed to know someone came before them.

Strolling down the hall, Townsend whistled as he came to the metal steps that carried him to the upper level. He whizzed his card through—they really need to move into the 21st century already—and smiled at the sound of screams, greeting him, as the heavy metal door to Upper Level 2 closed.

_Freddy_

Sun poured down on Freddy's Lockwood's new tan. He watched the girls and boys splash each other in the pool and he smirked at them. Kids. He felt pretty grown-up today. He'd be turning eighteen soon. College felt like it was right around the corner. Anything was possible—this summer—he could feel it, even winning the love of his best friend, Hope Mikaelson.

Hope blew a whistle at a little boy who dunked another little boy under the pool water. "No!" she called to them, waving a finger.

"Good job, Momma Hope!" Freddy teased her from his position above.

Hope blocked the sun from her eyes, with the flat of her hand, and grinned up at Freddy. "Hey there, stranger. You want to get lunch with me?" she asked, other hand on her hip.

Rubbing his lower lip with his index finger, Freddy seemed to contemplate the idea while he examined Hope's red, one-piece bathing suit. "No other hot girls have asked me out, today; so I suppose I'm free." Freddy launched himself off the seat, in one smooth jump. The little kids clapped and cheered at Freddy's performance. He bowed to them, smiling.

Hope shook her head and patted him on the shoulder. "Come on. I am starving!"

"Are you buying?" Freddy inquired.

Hope's brows rose. "You can't afford a hot dog?"

Freddy shook his head. "You asked me out. I thought it was only fair that you pay."

Giving Freddy a dubious look; Hope shook her head. "You know, my dad might be loaded, but you can buy lunch once in awhile."

"I can," Freddy nodded, and pulled out his wallet. He withdrew a twenty. "This will be my treat."

"Oh, how sweet," Hope's sarcasm was not lost on him.

Freddy stopped at the concession stands. "I need two cokes. Two bags of popcorn, and about five hotdogs, with mustard."

Hope waited, pulling out her phone from the top of her swimming suit, and frowning at the screen. "Bad news?" Freddy inquired, taking the food in both hands and almost dropping one of the drinks.

Taking her drink, without looking at it, or at Freddy, Hope sighed, and shoved her phone back into her top. "Jos. She's out-of-control! Did I tell you that I had to stop her from chowing down on the mailman, yesterday?" she asked, lowering her voice as they passed humans, on their way to a nearby table.

"Maybe your dad can talk to her," Freddy said. Honestly, Freddy felt happy for Hope, because her dad was back in the picture—but now that Jake was gone—Klaus had turned his attention on Freddy, not in a good way. Freddy knew that there was bad blood between Klaus and his dad, Tyler Lockwood, but Freddy's dad died a long time ago. Time to let it go.

Shaking her head, Hope began shoving popcorn into her mouth. "He doesn't want to freak Caroline out. The wedding is coming up. Li's a bit of a mess, thanks to being part of the wedding, and not knowing how to deal with Jos' behavior. Plus, she's taken up Fanny Salvatore as a pet project. Poor kid."

"You think we should try visiting Fanny. She's been keeping her distance from everyone…since…you know…Todd…" Freddy found he did not want to eat his hotdogs after all. His eyes went to the tabletop and he thought about Todd. Todd could be an ass, but he was also one of Freddy's closest friends—after the whole hating each other part ended.

Hope sighed and looked at the sky. "I think Fanny wants to be left alone. Maybe we can hang out with her after the wedding…" She did not seem that into the idea and Freddy decided to drop it. "Have you seen Mrs. Donovan around town?"

Freddy decided to attempt a hot dog. Picking it up, he held it between both hands, and shook his head. The food tasted better than he thought it would. "Nope," he grunted, around a mouthful of processed meat and lacking-any-kind-of-nutrition bread. He picked up his soda and took a long sip. "Looks like she's been holed up in the mansion since the funeral."

Maria Donovan tended to be a very outgoing and socially-aware human. However, since her son's sudden death—via vamps and wolves—she'd been hiding from the world, locked away in what used to be the Lockwood property before Tyler gave the place to his best friend, Matt Donovan.

"I sent flowers." Freddy said, taking another bite of his hotdog. "She didn't send a 'Thank you' card, but she didn't call to yell at me, so that's a plus. I think."

"If she doesn't come to the wedding; we'll go to see her," Hope said. She finished off her popcorn and attacked her hotdogs.

"You're hungry," Freddy noted.

Hope nodded, placing her hand over her mouth. "Work makes me this way. And the full moon's coming on."

Nodding, Freddy thought about his having to change this month. Hope liked to change and they'd been running together. It felt good. Natural. Freddy felt happier than he had in his entire life. But he knew that things always changed and he sensed that Hope would not let go of Jake as easily as he hoped she would. In the meantime, maybe she'd figure out that she was letting Freddy into her heart, too. The thought made him attack his next hotdog with relish.

_Maria_

"Honey?" Matt Donovan's voice made Maria's head hurt. Her fingers escaped the inside of her fort of pillows and wrinkled blankets. She wiggled her fingers at him in a "Go away" signal. Her devoted husband did not seem to understand her wordless communication because he took a seat on the bedside and placed a hand on her back. "Baby?"

"Mathew," Maria croaked, her voice sore from lack of use. "Please. I will get up tomorrow."

"Baby, you can't keep doing this… I miss him, too." Matt's words made Maria sit up, popping up like a Jack-in-the-Box, made by demons. Her hair was a tangled mess and she could feel the oil in it. She could smell where she had not bothered to bath in the past two weeks. And she did not care.

"Maria." Matt took hold of Maria's face between his hands. "Baby…" His eyes were full of tears. "Please, I can't lose you, too."

Huffing out a frustrated sigh, Maria jerked her face away from her husband's. She swept her legs over the side of the bed and pushed her feet onto the deep, plush carpet. Her toes wiggled and she looked at them. So much life in her while her boy rotted beneath the ground. It was not right.

"The monster who caused our boy's death still walks around this town like he owns it," Maria seethed. She reached out, and opened her nightstand, removing the bottle of tequila she kept there now; instead of a good spy novel. "It is your fault he took our boy! And his family thrives!" She hissed out, turning to face Matt.

Matt's blues were wide. "Maria."

"You are weak, Mathew! You allowed those monsters to take our son! Our baby! And to keep him! So? So, what? So they could find a boy was not even their blood!" Maria's eyes widened as she spoke and her lips curled back from her teeth. She placed venom in her words. She wanted to find a weapon and hunt these foul creatures until every last one them was gone.

"Maria, Klaus would have killed all of us. And he didn't kill Todd! Todd made a choice! He did something noble! Something good! He died to help his friends!" Matt tried to explain, his hands rising and falling from his sides as his words poured out.

"Your words are like water, they flood me, and drown me! I choke on your pretty sentiments! I wish they'd all died! I don't care for any of them! They are monsters! They are the children of monsters! They will do nothing, but kill, and terrorize, and make other mothers lose their babies! They bring nothing but pain on households!"

"Maria!" Matt shouted and Maria stopped. "I would give anything to bring him back! I love him, too! He was my boy! My first child! Do you think I don't want to hurt someone! You think I don't wake up, covered in sweat, remembering everything I could have done to keep him safe! Or how many times I got drunk at the Mystic Grill and how many times that the local paper almost published a story about the 'Local Mayor Who Lost His Mind?'" Matt flung his arms in the air. "You know who stops them? Caroline!"

"Caroline?" Maria scoffed. "Precious Caroline! Getting fitted for her monster wedding dress to become one of them! A Mikaelson! Caroline Mikaelson, wife of the most powerful man in the town! Step-mother to the little bitch who is the reason that my baby in the ground." Taking the bottle of tequila, Maria walked over to the window and tossed it through. She felt satisfied when glass-up-on-glass exploded and barely felt the shard of glass that tore through the skin on her cheek.

"Oh, my God!" a soft cry came from the doorway of the bedroom.

Maria's dark eyes flashed to the doorframe. "Fanny?" she said, not believing that the girl stood there.

"You're bleeding, Mrs. Donovan," Fanny said. She hurried into the room and straight into the bathroom, like she knew the house backward and forward. This did not shock Maria as much as it might have before Todd's death.

Fanny came out with a wet washcloth. She crossed the room and took hold of Maria's chin, as if Maria was the teen and Fanny was the adult. "This is going to hurt," Fanny said softly. She removed the glass from Maria's cheek and Maria did not flinch as Fanny applied the washcloth.

"I'll be downstairs," Matt told them, his head hanging down.

Neither female looked at Matt. Maria took hold of Fanny's wrist. "Thank you," she said softly, before moving her hand to the washcloth. She walked over to the bed and sat down. "Did you come to talk with us?"

"Yeah." Fanny seemed nervous as she came over to stand in front of Maria. She took hold of the bottom of her baby-doll top and squeezed it into a wrinkled mess in her hands. "I…"

Maria watched the girl closely as Fanny brushed her curly, black hair behind her ear. "I…" the girl tried to speak and Maria took hold of her wrist, again, and pulled the girl closer, taking in every fine detail of the girl's features. Fanny's large dark eyes peered at Maria in question, lips pursing into a pretty pout.

"He lives on," Maria said, her hand going to Fanny's middle. "There is still hope for us." A bitter-sweet smile turned her lips upward. Yes. Now, Maria had something live for. Something to protect, something to keep—her son's legacy—and she would be damned if anyone would take this from her.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following** **and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, my lovely readers. This chapter is drama, drama; did I say drama? On with the show…**

Chapter 1: This Used to Be Our Home

_Fanny_

Stefanie Salvatore stood in front of the full-length mirror in her home. Her eyes scanned the peach-colored evening dress. Her breasts posed a problem. They were peeking out of the top of the dress a tiny bit more than they had a month ago; when she'd been fitted for it. And a small swell—around her mid-section—drew attention to the newness that grew inside her.

Closing her eyes, Fanny wondered if she could get through Caroline Forbes' wedding, to Klaus Mikaelson, without anyone taking note of her changes. Maybe she could tape her breasts down. Maybe everyone would be staring at the happy, vampire bride, and the Original Hybrid. There was every reason for Fanny to expect all eyes would be on everyone and anyone else today.

"Fan, you almost ready?" Damon Salvatore, or Dad, to the fifteen-year-old—almost sixteen—Fanny. He was somewhere downstairs, but his voice carried up to her.

"She's already dressed," Sam answered for Fanny. He sped into her room. "Hey, kid. Looking good," he grinned, giving her a one-armed hug before straightening his tie.

Samuel Salvatore had become absorbed in his new life as a vampire and had busily ignored his baby sister. Not like he hadn't been doing that before he met his current girlfriend—probably future wife—Artemis Gerard, and joined Club Undead.

Fanny was happy for Sam. Because Sam was happy. All Fanny ever wanted was for her brother to be happy. And her mom and dad. And Sandy. No, she would not think about Sandra Bennett-Gilbert, Fanny's BFF from babyhood, her cousin, and the person who might be lost to them, forever. Thank you, Cousin Jacob, and Josie freakin' Saltzman, for screwing Fanny's life a little bit more.

"Sam, could you give us a minute?" Dr. Elena Salvatore inquired, with a fond smile directed at her children.

Head whipping around to take in their mom; Sam let out a whistle. "Mom, you look beautiful. Dad's going to have to fight off some other dads tonight." He moved across the room at an inhuman speed, sweeping their mother into his arms, into a hug, before setting her down, gently, and leaving mother and daughter alone.

Chuckling, Elena tucked her hair behind her ear and then turned to gaze at Fanny. Big, brown eyes dropping to the floor, Fanny's raven curls dropped around her face to cover her expression. She'd cut her hair to shoulder-length but it was thick enough to fall like a curtain, hiding her from her mother's prying gaze.

A sigh, and then, "I made an appointment at the clinic in Richmond," Elena said.

Head snapping up, Fanny gaped at her mother. "Clinic? You what? When? Mom!" Her cheeks burned, and her eyes found her mother's. "How could you go behind my back and make this decision for me?" Her hand went to her middle.

"Fanny." Elena strode over to take hold of her daughter's shoulders. "You're only fifteen. You have your entire life ahead of you… This… This isn't right. You're doing this to keep Todd alive and…" Eyes darkening, Elena looked like she might begin to cry.

Hands balling at her sides, Fanny let out a frustrated cry. "You don't know why I'm doing this, Mom." Jerking her shoulders out of her mother's grip; she turned her back to face her mother. "You don't even know me anymore." She stopped herself from adding: "I don't know myself either."

Yes, Todd was gone. Todd was in the earth. And his baby was in Fanny. They were alive. Maria, Todd's mother, wanted Fanny to have the baby. If Fanny had to, she could move in with Maria and Matt Donovan, until the baby was born. This baby was the last piece of their son on this planet.

"I'm doing this for me," Fanny said hoarsely. "If I could, I would have waited. I would not have to do this on my own. If Todd were still alive, I might not keep this baby. I don't know, Mom. I don't know. Okay? I just… I want it."

"Honey, just because you want something; doesn't mean it's the right thing to do," Elena replied, her hand going to Fanny's arm. "I know a lot of girls who come to my office, and they're confused, scared, unsure of what to do. It's not my right to make their decisions for them. All I can do is listen. And I just want you to talk to someone, and explore your options. Think about your future. Can you really do this? Is it fair to a baby?"

Groaning, Fanny's hands went into her hair. "Aren't you, like, a bridesmaid, and have duties to Caroline?" Turning to stare at her mother, Fanny watched Elena's expression become resigned. "Maybe you can help her make the right decisions for her life?" She saw her mother flinch, like Fanny had slapped her.

"Just think about it," Elena said, trying to touch Fanny, again. Fanny scooted backward, running into the mirror, and gasped.

A tap at the doorframe and Damon's head popped inside the room. "Everything alright in here?" he inquired, his eyes flicking between his wife and his child.

"Peachy," Fanny replied, lifting the flowing skirts of her dress, and then dropping them with a smirk.

Smirking back, Damon nodded. "Good. Lena, we're going to be late to get you to Caroline. Hate to piss off The Vampire Bride!" He raised his hands and bared his teeth like he did when Fanny and Sam were young and they would laugh as he chased them around the kitchen.

Elena's eyes moved to Fanny who refused to look at her mom. Shoulders dropping, Elena left the room, moving past Damon, who looked less easy-going as he glanced back at Fanny. Fanny tried to look innocent, but she was her daddy's little girl. Little got past Damon when it came to Fanny; unless you counted his willful blindness to her pregnancy.

Without another word, Fanny marched across the room and past her dad. They had a wedding to celebrate today and God help anyone who messed with Caroline Forbes on this day.

_Caroline_

"Jos?" Caroline whirled in her cream-colored gown, curls bouncing around her face as Rebekah helped to pin the rest of Caroline's hair up in a French twist. "Li, have you seen your sister?"

"No." Li curled a long, brown curl around her finger. "I'm sure she's just binge-drinking one of your human guests." Li sat in a comfy chair, waiting for Rebekah to help her with her own hair. Her carnation pick dress was still in the dry-cleaning bag, flung over a chair in the corner, and the matching heels were set underneath it. "I can text her."

"Stop moving!" Rebekah smacked Caroline's shoulder. The Original sister's hair already fell in perfect curls down her back. Her rose-colored bridesmaid dress made her look pretty. Well, Caroline thought it made Rebekah look pretty.

Caroline's eyes fell on Li who continued to type away on her phone. Every once in a while a huge grin would spread across her face. Eyes darting upward, Caroline caught Rebekah watching Li, too. The kids had been getting more and more serious. Theo and Li. They were sweet together. Completely in love. Caroline just hoped it did not end in heartbreak.

Rebekah caught Caroline staring at her. "You know you're completely insane for marrying my brother. I suggest you run while you still can."

Li let out a loud giggle and Caroline looked at her daughter. Looking up, Li blushed. "Sorry. It's just Theo was telling me this joke about Romeo and Juliet. I don't think I get it, but I'm sure it's really funny." Giggling again, Li went back to typing.

Rolling her eyes, Rebekah shook her head. "They're doomed," she reported cheerfully. "And I'm done. You're free to run away, or to find your wayward daughter."

Getting to her feet, Caroline thought about what she should do. Find Jos, who was probably doing something she shouldn't be with her boyfriend, James Mikaelson. Caroline could not have chosen a worse boyfriend for Jos than James. The adoptive—and only child—of Kol and Davina Mikaelson, James had a wild streak, and brought out the worst in Jos.

"I think I'll check up on where my other bridesmaid is," Caroline replied in a light tone. She would not allow herself to become stressed-out today. She was getting married. Again.

The last time Caroline got married, her husband, Stefan Salvatore, died hours after the ceremony. This time would be different. For one thing, Klaus was not the die-for-the-sake-of-the-entire-population-of-a-town type. He was the: I'll-kill-anyone-who-stands-in-my-way type.

Nope. Caroline would not be comparing Klaus to Stefan all day long. Stefan made a choice. Caroline respected what he'd chosen to do. It was noble. And she would always care for him. But her life and future were with Klaus. And together they would make choices about their future.

"Hey, there, pretty lady," Damon said, startling Caroline out of her thoughts. "Brought you a gift. She's been looking forward to telling you to: 'Run! Run, Caroline! And never look back!'" Damon widened his eyes, imitating a fear-ridden person in a horror film, running around Caroline in circles. "Aw! Help me! My groom is a psycho killer!"

"Damon, cut it out!" Elena cried, but she was laughing as she entered the dressing room.

Caroline grinned, hugging Elena. "Hey, you!"

"Hey!" Elena pulled back to examine Caroline's dress. "You're glowing, Care!" Tears were shinning in Elena's eyes and Caroline felt overwhelmed with emotion. Elena hadn't been able to attend Caroline's first wedding—because she had been in a magically-induced coma—so this one needed to be spectacular.

"Don't cry!" Caroline yelled, waving her hands in front of her face. "Bekah just did my makeup and she'll kill us both."

"Yes, I will," Rebekah said, finishing Li's hair.

Li stood up, turning to face her mother. Caroline let out a little sob at the sight of the little tea roses in her daughter's hair. Her girls were growing up. Seventeen, soon. Right now, Caroline saw Li as a toddler, and Caroline couldn't stop smiling, even with tears trailing down her cheeks.

"Oh, dear," Rebekah sighed. "Back to the makeup. Elena, you're next!"

"What? What's wrong with how I look now?" Elena frowned.

Rebekah looked at Caroline who nodded. "Bride's orders, love. You'll have to tough it out like the rest of us sorry lot." With a smirk, Rebekah began to fix Caroline's makeup. "Then I'll only have Bonnie. Freya, when she ever shows up. Jos, wherever the devil she's gotten off to. And Hope. Caroline, you should have called in a professional."

"I wanted this wedding to be about family and friends," Caroline retorted. Eyes locking with Rebekah's, Caroline could see a light bulb appear above Rebekah's head. Caroline was worried about the outing-of-all-vampires. No one had come for them, but who knew what the future held.

"Yes, well, we could have…" Rebekah trailed off, and shook her head before she leaned down to press her face close to Caroline's. "I'll think of a way for you to make it up to me, sister."

Grabbing, Rebekah's hand, Caroline squeezed it in her own. "We're going to be okay."

"Of course we will." Rebekah lifted Caroline's chin. "Are you sure about this shade of eye shadow? There was a girl in the fourteenth century who used to try to make her lids look this color, with a rather ghastly result."

"Rebekah," Caroline groaned.

"Am I late?" Hayley called, entering the room. She looked flushed. Her hair looked slightly tangled and her red dress had more than a tiny wrinkle or two. She wiped her mouth with the corner of her hand.

"Have you been feeding on the humans?" Rebekah snapped, narrowing her eyes at the hybrid.

Caroline's fingers dug into her chair. "Hayley…"

"No!" Hayley shook her head. "I was… Elijah… We… Um…"

Caroline was the first one to let out a laugh. "Got the full picture. Okay. Thanks for that. Seriously! You couldn't wait for after my wedding?" She shook her head. "At least someone's getting into the spirit of the day."

"What's going on?" Li asked, glancing up from her phone. She looked at the women in the room; her face a perfect vision of confusion.

"Nothing, honey," Caroline said. "Please, go find your sisters."

"Sure." Li nodded, back to her phone as she left the bride to her friends and future family.

Closing her eyes, Caroline took slow, steadying breaths. This was her pretty, perfect wedding day. She was going to be Mrs. Caroline Elizabeth Mikaelson. Opening her eyes, Caroline found she was smiling. She felt good. She felt ready. She couldn't wait to meet Klaus at the end of the aisle and begin their life together. Caroline, Klaus, and their three girls—who were not in the middle of something disastrous—as Caroline waited for the wedding to begin, or so she hoped.

_Hope_

Fingering her pennant, Hope Mikaelson worried about her plans. She knew that she would find Jacob. What she would do once she found him was her only question. Could she really open up the Prison World he had been sucked into, unleashing Kai Parker on her family and friends? Was she being a horrible, selfish person?

Closing her eyes, Hope forced her teeming brain to calm down. Her father's wedding day had arrived. She had a duty to both her father, and to Caroline Forbes, her headmistress for her first ten years at the boarding school, her mentor, and her other mother/friend.

This should be a time for happiness and celebration, not worrying about her own problems. Hope forced herself to head down the stairs of Klaus' new home and to knock on the make-shift dressing room. "Hey, everyone decent in there?" she called out.

"Decent?" Uncle Kol popped his head out and grinned at her. "Do you mean dressed, love?"

Hope laughed. "Yes, Kol. That's what I meant." She grinned at her uncle. She wished he spent more time in town. However, he and Davina had many things to do with their lives, and Mystic Falls just did not hold the kind of draw for them that it did for Aunt Bekah and Marcel.

"Girl coming in!" Kol shouted, flinging the door wide open.

Elijah stood, buttoning his jacket, and looking very James Bond. "Hope, you're not dressed yet."

Hope glanced at her T-shirt and jeans combo. "Nope. Sorry. I thought I'd check in on Dad. Make sure he's ready to get hitched." She peered around the room, looking for her father. "He's in here, isn't he?"

"Oh," Kol shook his head. "He had a phone call to make. Freya's stuck at the airport, with Vincent, and Nik's, about to give some poor person a piece of his mind. Or of their liver. We'll find out soon." Kol's eyes were lit with amusement. "Now, scurry off to find the women folk, and dazzle us with your lovely dress, darling."

Turning Hope around, Kol kissed her cheek, and gave her a gentle push back out into the hallway. She heard the door shut and soft voices behind it. She could hear Kol and Elijah discussing something to do with a news reports that had never seen the screen.

Sighing, Hope trudged away from the door. Someone had released the late Camille O'Connell's memoirs on Klaus Mikaelson. Now, they were all on edge. The wedding was supposed to be a reprieve from the flurry of tension, and the offensive work to be done, to keep the family safe. Apparently not.

"Hope!" Li called from the bottom of the staircase.

Peering down at her step-sister, "Hey! What's up?" Hope called. Without another thought, Hope flung herself over the landing, and fell into a crouch. Straightening, she watched Li's eyes widen and her face drain of color.

"Could you not do that? Please!" Li demanded. Puffing out air, she brushed a brown curl behind her ear. "You just took a whole bunch of years off my life!"

"Sorry." Since Hope became a tri-brid—in the truest sense of the word—having been shot by Damon Salvatore, who had been aiming for Hope's MIA fiancé, Jacob Salvatore, and Hope died before transitioning into a vampire—she enjoyed using her powers. Being a vampire-werewolf-witch had a lot of perks for Hope. No one messed with her. Still, she should try to be more careful around her siphoner sister who was weary of the new Hope.

"Have you seen Jos?" Li asked, glancing at her cell phone. Li did not seem to be in any kind of hurry to find her hybrid twin, Jos, the vampire-siphoner, who turned, thanks to Kai Parker being an evil dick.

Hope thought about the last time she'd seen Jos Saltzman. The older—by a fraction—twin's body hung half-in and half-out of her bedroom window as she called out to James to: "Wait for her!" just before Jos slid out of the window to the Forbes' household and she hopped onto the back of a motorcycle, with James driving. That was this morning. Who knew where the two were by now.

"Hmm…" Hope rubbed her temples. She felt the beginnings of a headache coming on. Could everyone cool their own dramas for long enough that Hope could deal with her own?

"Looking for me?" Jos asked. She came waltzing in. A huge smile lit up her face. Her skin was flushed with a new feed. Hope felt jealous. She hadn't indulged in human blood since she and Jacob lived in a little cottage in Romania. Better to able to control her bloodlust for now. Too many humans were already giving her the side-eye. Her ex, Todd's mother, Maria, being high on that list. Hope gave the woman a break because her only kid was pushing up daises, literally. Maria planted them herself.

James came in. He stopped behind Jos, his arms slipped around her waist, and he pressed a lingering kiss to her neck.

"You're wearing your lunch," Hope remarked, drily.

Li's nose scrunched up. "Ick!"

Jos rolled her eyes at her sister. Turning her back on them, she wound her arms around James' neck, and kissed him, her tongue going into his mouth. Hope rolled her eyes. How would she explain the dynamics of her sister kissing her cousin to an outsider? The same way she would explain her other sister dating her other cousin. And her aunt being married to her brother. Not. Your. Business.

"End scene! Please, enter stage left—for changing—so Mom doesn't lose her freakin' mind!" Li shouted at Jos. Her arms were folded over her chest, and she began to tap her foot, openly glaring at her vampire twin.

Jos pulled away from James, and rubbed a thumb over her mouth, a wide smile was on her face as she turned to the others. "Sorry. Not."

Hope glowered at Jos as Jos passed her. Li followed her twin and Hope held out a hand, stopping James before he could make his departure. "James, you're new to the whole being part of the bigger Mikaelson Clan dynamics, so let me explain something to you: Don't mess with my dad! Or Uncle Kol will have to adopt a new child."

James' brows rose and he let out a low chuckle. Taking Hope's hand in his own; he kissed the back of it. "Forgive me, fair cousin, I do not mean harm."

"Don't try to charm me, James. I'm not Jos," Hope warned him. She stared at James whose dark eyes twinkled with amusement.

"You're right, Hope. Forgive me." James took a step back and bowed. "I will do my best to contain my antics. For another time, perhaps. When your lover returns."

Hissing, Hope had to control herself. "Don't talk about Jake."

James zipped his lips with his fingers and sped out of her sight.

Hope forced herself to calm down. But it took a lot of self-control not to cause a power outage. It was one thing for Hope to think about Jake. It was another for someone, like James, to talk about him. They barely knew each other. And it ripped a new hole in Hope.

"Hey, Hope," Freddy Lockwood called, and Hope's head snapped up.

Freddy looked tan, fit and happy to see Hope. He'd been gone for the past week, out-of-the-country, with his mother, Gwen Lords, Vampire Hunter Lady.

"Hey, Freddy!" Hope felt happy to see Freddy. He was her friend-date to the wedding. "You look nice."

"Got a pretty girl to impress tonight," Freddy replied with a wink.

Hope rolled her eyes and laughed. "Okay. Um. I have to go now. Can't show up looking like this." She waved a hand at her clothes.

"Brown paper bag, all the way." Freddy replied nodding his black hair, pulled into a short ponytail which bobbed as he spoke.

Shaking her head, Hope left Freddy to go get dressed. She found the bride, and her maids, and the children were all ready. "Sorry," Hope cried, feeling guilty.

"Don't be. Just hurry!" Caroline said, cupping Hope's cheeks. "Your dad needs you today."

"And you," Hope added.

Caroline nodded. "And me, too." Her face lit up with a smile and Hope felt a surge of joy fill her. She just wished Jacob were here, too.

"Dress," Aunt Freya said. She held out Hope's dress to her and Hope began tossing her clothes on the floor. Hope let her aunt help her into the dress before sitting down for Aunt Rebekah to do her hair and makeup.

When Hope was ready, she stood up and found that everyone else was staring at her. "What?" she asked them.

"You're going to steal all the attention," Caroline told her, coming over to brush Hope's hair behind her head.

"Sure I am." Hope shook her head. "You look too pretty for anyone to see anyone but you."

"Thanks to me," Rebekah said, zipping up her bags. "Well, then. We have a wedding to get to." She waved everyone out of the dressing room.

Caroline began to shiver. "Are you okay?" Bonnie asked, her hands closing on Caroline's arm.

"I'm fine," Caroline replied and Hope watched Bonnie give Caroline a weary look. Bonnie looked a little pale herself. She was pregnant, again. Maybe Jeremy Gilbert should give his wife a little space after this baby was born.

Music began to float up from the bottom of the stairs and Hope looked over the railing. She could see the guests sitting and waiting for the formal event to begin. Her eyes fell on Maria Donovan who looked right through Hope before turning her face to Kol Mikaelson who would be officiating. Hope, again, held her tongue, in spite of the misgivings she was having.

Klaus looked up and Hope waved to her dad. He grinned and waved back at her.

Moving into place, behind Aunt Freya, Hope watched the procession begin. Elena began to walk down the curving staircase of Klaus' and Caroline's home. Hope's, too, and Li's and Jos.'

Bonnie was next. She gripped the railing a little too tightly.

Rebekah looked like she was made for this kind of thing.

Freya smiled down at her siblings. Vincent watched her with a calm demeanor. Hope wondered—not for the first time—if he was little bit in love with her aunt.

Now, it was Hope's turn. Caroline would be escorted by the twins, in lieu of her parents, who were both deceased.

Hope took a seat in the front line and turned to watch Li and Jos offer their mother to Hope's father. "Don't break her," Jos warned Klaus who smirked at her.

Jos took a seat to Hope's left. Li to Hope's right. They turned their attention to the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved. We are, shockingly, here to witness the wedding of the lovely Caroline Forbes, to my wicked brother, Klaus Mikaelson," Kol began with a grin.

"Kol," Klaus growled.

"Moving on then. Since the couple insisted on cutting this down to the most basics bits –" Kol was interrupted by the doorbell.

"Who is that?" Rebekah demanded, eyes flicking to Marcel.

Klaus' eyes moved to the door and Hope hoped the person would get the hint and go away.

"As I was sayin—" The doorbell cut Kol off, again. "Well, that is rude. James, go kill whoever that is."

"NO!" Caroline shouted when James darted for the door. "I'll get it. And then we'll continue." She offered everyone a wide smile and gathered her skirts before marching back down the aisle. Klaus followed her and Hope followed her dad.

Caroline opened the door. Hope felt dread set in when she saw an armored truck outside. A group of soldiers were dressed in heavy gear and held weapons that were not ordinary guns. "Can I help you?" Caroline asked. Klaus' hand was on her arm.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the man at the door said. "We've come at a bad time, but we have a warrant, and must follow command."

"A warrant?" Caroline looked at Klaus.

"A warrant, for what, may I ask?" Klaus' cool, relaxed tone would make most people shudder.

This man placed his hand on his gun. "A warrant for the suspected murderer of Poppy Prentice. We believe she lives here: Josette Saltzman."

"Jos?" Caroline looked worried and then angry.

Jos moved to join their group. "What's going on?"

"Josette Saltzman?" the military guy asked.

"Yeah?" Jos folded her arms over her chest.

"Please, place your hands above your head, Miss…" The rest of the words poured out as more military people entered the home and one took ahold of Jos, placing her hands in cuffs.

"Mom?" Jos cried out.

"Jos!" Caroline was about to lose it.

"Caroline, don't!" Alaric said, coming to join them. "Where are you taking her?"

"You'll be informed," the man in the doorway told them. Then the group left, Jos with them.

"What just happened?" Li asked them. Hope wished she knew.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, my lovely readers. It's time to find out how things are going in the Prison World! On with the show…**

Chapter 2: Your Ruby Slippers Are On Order

_Jacob_

Of all the people, in all the world, Jacob Salvatore had to find himself stuck in a Prison World, with both Malakai Parker, and Sandra Bennett-Gilbert. Now, Jake might be able to deal—or to make deals—with Kai. After all, the guy was the leader of the Gemini Coven. Jake and Kai could bond over having crap families and being tossed out like unwanted puppies, into the cruel, cruel world. But Sandy. Sandy was another story…

**Day One: **

Kai glanced around the area, a deep frown on his face. "Okay. I think this is where you blew our little toy to bits? Correct me if I'm wrong." He sent a narrow-eyed look in Sandy's direction.

Sandy glanced at the ground, her arms crossed over her chest. There were little specks of blood decorating her long, dark locks of hair, and Jake felt his stomach growl. "What makes you think I'm going to help you?" she demanded, glowering at the two siphoners.

Jake held up his hands, palms directed at Kai. "If you will, I will handle this one…" Casually sidling up to Sandy, Jacob slid an arm around the girl's waist and propelled her a few feet away from Kai, who examined the sky thoughtfully.

"He's going to kill you, dear. So, you either play nice, or risk never seeing your precious Jos again." Jacob's eyes met Sandy's, who flinched.

"Jos doesn't need me. She has James," Sandy hissed back, her eyes on Kai.

"Fine. Wonderful. Then stay here. But I have a girl to get home to. And as much I would love to spend the next couple of decades, here, finding out what you and Jos built for me, I think I would prefer to leave." Jacob stepped away from Sandy and began his own hunt for the broken bits of the ascendant.

"You're a light touch, Salvatore. Not like your uncle," Kai tsked, waving a chiding finger at Jacob as he sped over and took hold of Sandy by the neck. Her feet dangled and swung as Kai held her four feet above the ground. To give the girl the credit she so richly deserved; she did not flinch as she looked death in the face.

"Kill me!" Sandy choked out, nodding at Kai as her hands flew, instinctively, to his fingers enclosing her throat. "Just end it!"

Kai cocked his head to look at Jacob. "She wants me to kill her. Man, you two are nowhere as much fun as Damon and Bon Bon. You should have seen us, back in the day. Man, you would laugh, 'til you died." Kai paused, laughing at his own joke and dropping Sandy to the ground.

Crouching, Kai lifted Sandy's chin with his forefinger. "I'm not going to kill you, Sandy; I need you around."

Sandy glared at Kai and rubbed her throat.

Jacob picked up a tiny piece of metal. "Found something," he told them.

Eyes flicking to the piece of ascendant, Sandy looked unhappy and her gaze fell on the ground once more.

Kai got to his feet and dusted himself off. "Right. Well, we've only got—I don't know—five hundred other pieces to find. Won't take too long."

After the first hour of work, Sandy finally began searching, and came up with two pieces. Since they were pivotal pieces of the puzzle; Kai did not berate her as Jacob felt certain the Heretic would. "Cool. Thanks, Sandy. Who wants dinner? Jacob's cooking!" Slapping his palms together, Kai took hold of Sandy by her elbow, and half-dragged her toward the replica of the Boarding School.

Jacob looked at the sky. He knew so little of the Prison Worlds. All he knew of them was what his mother, Valerie Tulle, told him which was this: "Do not ever get sent to one. You'll never come home, Jake." Valerie had placed a tender hand on his cheek. They'd lost too much time together as it was.

Jacob felt a chill run through his bones, whether it was from the change in the weather—as the sun went down—or from his mother's half-forgotten words; Jacob did not know.

Entering the Boarding School, Jacob could hear Kai talking to Sandy. From the sounds of it, they were in the living room. Jacob took a moment to confirm his suspicion before he went to the familiar kitchen. There he began to gather ingredients for a lasagna. Whenever—if he ever found the time—Jacob planned to do some research on the Gemini Coven. Thankfully, the girls had chosen a period of time after the school had been erected, to construct the Prison World within. His hands went about the familiar task of cooking while he worked through a plan. He felt certain that Alaric Saltzman had stowed away information on Prison Worlds—because of the Wonder Twins—which meant Jacob could learn all he needed to know, right here.

"Looks good," Kai said, coming into the kitchen and leaning against the counter.

"Thank you," Jacob said. He blinked at Kai and offered the older Heretic a pleasantly fake smile. "Would you like to help? Or am I to be The Help while we're stuck here?"

"I can set the table," Kai said. He began to open cabinet doors and then he stopped and turned to look at Jacob. "I have to ask you something, Jacob Salvatore; you have got me so curious."

"About?" Jacob asked, adding seasoning to sauce he knew never had enough zip.

Kai crossed his arms over his chest. "You, man. How do you even exist?" Pausing, Kai held up his hands. "Wait. Don't give me The Birds and Bees lecture. Just you—your existence is—well, nothing short of a miracle; your parents must be so proud."

Stopping in his efforts, Jacob turned to Kai. "I would wish not to discuss my parents. If you don't mind."

"Ah, Stefan," Kai pouted. "Heard about daddy biting the dust. Poor Damon. Next to Lena, Stef was the big love of Damon's life." He chuckled. "That sounds funny now that I say it aloud. Okay. What I really want to know is—how are you alive? You must be—what—over a hundred-years-old?"

Jacob's hands stilled, and he turned to look at Kai, Jacob propped himself on the counter with one hand. "You seem to have the whole story already? What do you want from me?"

Kai smirked. "It's just funny. All these kids who were supposed to be dead—you and my nieces—little miracle babies—popping up all over the place. Not like old times, when you killed a kid, and stayed good and dead."

"Maybe you weren't trying hard enough. Forgot some loopholes," Jacob said, opening a drawer, and pulling out a wooden spoon.

Kai grinned. "You're right. And you know what they say—"

Jacob interrupted. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again," he finished, with a general lack of enthusiasm.

"See, you get me," Kai said, coming over, and slapping Jacob on the back. "I think when this is all over, we're going to be even better friends than Damon and I are."

"You and Uncle Damon are friends?" Jacob inquired lightly, his light eyes moving to Kai who nodded.

"Sure. Nothing says friendship like being locked away in a Prison World together. Trust me, when we're done, you, me, and Sandy, we're going to be closer than family." Kai winked at Jacob, and then said, loudly, "Hey there, Sandy, Jake needs help setting the table. I'm going to go take a shower, Promise not to run out the hot water."

When Kai was gone, Sandy came to stand beside Jacob. "Closer than family?" she repeated, cocking an eyebrow.

Jacob shrugged. "Could be worse, couldn't it?" he said, taking the pot. He moving around the girl, to place it atop the stove, and turned it on a low flame.

"Kai killed his family," Sandy said.

Jacob nodded. "Yes. That makes sense."

Sandy let out a huff. "Only you would think so."

Jacob stood back from the flame. "Don't worry, Sandra. You're not alone."

Sandy eyed the pot. "I kind of wish I were," she said, toeing her heel across the tiles on the floor. Jacob shook his head at her as she added: "This only ends with one, or more of us, dead, or stuck here, with no way out."

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Jacob inquired, placing a hand on the girl's arm. "Hope is out there. She'll be working on a way to free us. And your mother. With those two women working to secure our release, all we need to do is find ways to distract ourselves. In the meantime, we work on saving ourselves."

Nodding, Sandy looked at Jacob. "And when Kai gets free, we're back at the beginning."

"Who said Kai would be coming with us?" Jacob inquired, smirking at Sandy, who simply stared at him. "After all, this isn't his world. It's mine."

_Sandy_

**Day Thirty: **

"Damn it!" Kai cried, dropping the bits of ascendant to the floor. He'd been tinkering with the thing for the past two weeks. Ever since they found the remaining pieces—two days prior to that—Kai worked, tirelessly, to put the thing back together.

"Perhaps it's like Humpty Dumpty," Jacob said, from his position on the couch, facing Kai. "Perhaps it cannot be put together again."

Sandy sat, kitty-corner to Jacob, her hands cupped a steaming cup of hot chocolate which she blew on the top of. She looked very calm as she took in the sight of Kai, his hands in his hair. He seemed completely rattled. It looked like Jacob's plan to stall their early release was working.

Jacob's lips twitched, but he had managed not to smirk. Eyes moving back to Kai, Sandy took a long sip of the drink. Jacob did have a few, secret talents. He played Scrabble like a whiz, made the second-best hot chocolate Sandy ever tasted, and had a wicked sense of humor which Sandy had grown used to over the month. Well, the last part was not a secret.

"Where the hell is the missing piece?" Kai shouted, kicking the pieces in front of them, and scattering them across the room.

"Be careful of the fireplace," Sandy warned Kai, sweeping a few pieces out of harm's way, with a wave of her arm before they could ignite.

Kai whirled on Sandy and glared. "You're doing something? Aren't you?" he demanded, striding over, and leaning over Sandy, his fingers biting into the chair.

"Hey!" Jacob called. He got up, and marched over, taking hold of Kai's shoulder, he forced Kai away from Sandy. "We don't hurt the girl. Remember? We need her, to get back."

Taking a step back, Kai held up both his hands. He offered Jacob and Sandy a large smile. "Right. Sorry. Hate to break up the party. Speaking of which, let's play a little game called: What am I going do when I get home? I'll go first. When I get home, I plan on finding your mommy and torturing her—for double-crossing me—and getting me sent here!" Kai stabbed a finger at the floor and offered Sandy and Jake a wide smile.

Sandy shook her head and set her cup of cocoa aside. "The first thing I plan on doing, when I get home, is telling my parents "I love them," and watching my mom kick your ass!" she spat back at Kai.

Laughing, Kai rolled his eyes. "I'm going to kill Jer, and make Bonnie watch."

Sandy felt the magic in her fingers begin to tingle. Curling her fingers under her thighs, Sandy managed to stifle the urge to attack Kai. He simply wanted a reason to drain her of her magic, and to then leave—probably with her blood—just like he'd once done to her mother. But Sandy would not allow history to repeat itself. She was going home. With, or without the two psychos she'd been stuck spending the summer with.

Kai turned to Jacob. "So, Jake, what are your plans when you get home? Lots of sex with the Big, Bad Tri-brid?"

Jacob smirked back at Kai. "At least one us will be welcomed back."

Kai placed a hand over his heart. "That wounds me, Jake, I really thought we could have a meaningful relationship here. You know, we get back home, I make you my number-two in the new-and-improved Gemini Coven. Not like you're going to go magically-merging with anyone. And it's nice to have family around."

"What would you know about family, Kai?" Sandy asked. "Other than killing them?"

Kai peered back at Sandy through narrowed eyes. "Ah, do I detect some research, Bennett Junior? Have you been looking me up? And here I thought you weren't my number one fan! Oh, I'll have to tweet about that when we get back…"

"Twitter has been over for a decade," Sandy retorted. "You're so old."

Kai glowered back at Sandy. "Old? Me? Psst. I don't age. Thanks to all this time in the ol' Prison Worlds, better than plastic surgery. Oh-ho! I have a great idea!" He held up both his hands, a sense of excitement filling his voice. "When we get back, we start a business together. We'll start selling tickets to celebs who don't want to age. Think of it; they'll get to skip those nasty years that no one comes a callin,' and then they'll re-appear looking younger than before!"

Sandy looked to Jacob who only stared at Kai. Kai's hands dropped. "Fine. Fine. I'm going to bed. But I am tellin' you now; you're going to regret not jumping on this opportunity." Pointing at Jake and Sandy, Kai left the living room. Sandy began to relax.

As they did most nights, Sandy and Jake relaxed in the silence of the late evening. The fire crackled away in the hearth. And after a time—without a word to the other—the two would get up and head for the library. It would seem that all they were doing was a little, light reading, before heading off to their respective beds.

However, the witch and the siphoner, had been slowly collecting information from the books that lined the shelves. Notes were jotted on pieces of paper which would burst into flame, sometimes before two o'clock in the morning, and the books would find themselves back in their proper places.

Sandy found evidence of Prison Worlds for the last five centuries. Not every attempt had survived. And some of the witches—who attempted to imprison their quarry—ended up dead as a result. Now that Sandy had built a prison world, she felt she could do it again, and planned to. The only problem was that she and Jake wanted to re-work the formula.

Their plans included a kind of melding of two prison worlds. If their plan was successful, they could send someone from one Prison World, into a completely new one, and the first one would cease to exist. The only thing was: Sandy did not want to stop there. She wanted to make sure there was no key to the new Prison World. No escape. She wanted to ensure that Kai Parker never bothered her family again.

Jake was helping her work out the physics of this little dilemma. Sandy wondered if he suspected that she intended on leaving him with Kai. The funny thing was that Sandy had gotten used to Jake. And she wondered if this was a bit like Stockholm Syndrome?

Letting out a quiet humming sound, Jake circled a note on his own notebook and flashed a word at Sandy. "Merge?"

"What?" Sandy wrote back.

"Kai's been talking about The Twin Merge lately." Jake wrote in large letters and Sandy peered at the writing. "I believe he's planning something for the twins when we get out of here."

Silently, Sandy let Jacob's comment enter her mind; where she filed it away for later thought. Right now, they had other matters to concentrate on.

~0~

**Day Forty-Five: **

Like almost every day before it, Jacob was the first of the three out of bed, and down in the kitchen. He would be playing some kind of rock music that he'd found Damon used to play. He and Sandy would note Kai's reactions without cluing him into their behavior as Sandy worked the crossword puzzle, and Kai gave her "helpful hints" as to the answers.

Sandy already knew that she and Jake were miming her mother's and Damon's behavior, decades ago, just to see what Kai made of it. He seemed to find it all amusing, until the evenings began with his trying to put the ascendant together, failing miserably, and beginning another cruel game of "What's the first thing I am going to do when we get home?" ending with a threat to either Sandy, or Jake, or both.

But this night ended a little differently. Kai went to bed. Jake got up and stretched, intent on going to the library, when Sandy breathed a word, and the ascendant came together. Jake cocked his head, not saying a word before Sandy said the opposite word and the ascendant returned to its many places on the floor.

Getting up, Sandy crossed the floor, to look at Jacob, her hands crossed in front of her stomach. A small smile was on her lips, and together, they went off to the library. Tonight, they would actually be reading to get to sleep instead of working on their research.

They had everything they needed in place. All they needed was to wait for the right opportunity, and then they'd be on their way home. And Kai would be on his way to his new home. The thought made Sandy genuinely smile, for the first time in forty-five days.

~0~

_Kai_

**Day Forty-Five:**

People really never changed. Same old, predictable mistakes, and as old as time itself, Kai Parker stood in the doorway of the Salvatore great room, shaking his head, a smirk on his face as Sandra Bennett-Gilbert made the key to his freedom come together before dismantling it.

Shaking his head, Kai made his way back upstairs. He went into Damon Salvatore's old bedroom, and laid down, his eyes on the ceiling. Looked like the little witch, and Jake, his new pal, were trying to ride off into the sunset—before remembering they were mortal enemies, and battling to the death. The thought left Kai smiling. He'd deal with them later.

**Day Fifty-Six:**

Releasing a frustrated grunt, Kai watched the pieces of the ascendant fall to pieces in his hands. They shook as he worked to control his anger and he turned on Sandy and Jacob. "I'm going to bed. No more games tonight, kids."

Sandy's green eyes flashed to Jacob. Jacob sat up straighter on the couch. "Yes?" Jacob did not seem so sure about Kai's statement.

Kai cracked his neck muscles and rolled his shoulders. "It's been a loooong day. I don't know about you, but I need some shut-eye. We'll talk about what to do next tomorrow." He looked to Sandy. "Sweet dreams."

Sandy's brows rose, but she said nothing in return.

Leaving the room, Kai went up the stairs, and waited. He stared out the window and thought about his time with Bonnie. He laid down on the bed, and pressed his face into the pillow, pretending he could smell her scent clinging to the fabric. But it was no good. No matter how many times he tried to conjure her scent, her voice—sarcasm dripping from her tone as she critiqued everything about him—he felt nothing. Nope. Only the real thing would do. Accept no substitutions.

Kai rolled onto his back and stared out the window. He really did intend on killing Jeremy Gilbert; when he escaped the Prison World. And he would make Bonnie and Sandy watch as he did it. Maybe he'd kill the boys, too. Bonnie needed to know how painful it felt to be left all alone; just when she'd given him a taste of nirvana. It felt like the cruelest thing anyone had ever done to him. And Kai knew all about cruelty.

The sound of light footsteps in the hall alerted Kai to his roommates going to bed and he sat up. Showtime. He cracked his knuckles in the darkness of the bedroom and waited. It would not take long. The herbs in Sandy's hot cocoa would send her off to sleep soon. All Kai had to do was to wait. Then his fun would begin.

~0~

_Eyes opening up, Sandy sat up with a start, her hair hanging around her shoulders in tangles. "Hello?" she called to the darkness. Just a trace of fear, more than a trace of weariness in her tone. "Kai?" she demanded, arms crossing over her chest. "I am not in the mood for another psycho game! Show yourself!" _

_Nothing in response. Pushing off the side of the bed, Sandy heaved a sigh. "Jake? Are you okay?" No one replied, and Sandy walked over to the frosted glass of the bedroom window and rubbed a hand over it. _

_Sandy's eyes widened at the sight below her. "Jos?" she called, but Jos did not seem to hear her. She was trudging toward the house, a jacket wrapped around her and she was shivering. _

_Jos' ex ran to the bedroom door. She flung it open and ran down the hall, past Kai's bedroom. Her feet carried her down the stairs at quite the clip. Her legs pumping for all the human energy they could expend. The girl's cheeks were flushed as she arrived at the door and jerked it open. _

_Jos stood at the front door. Her balled fist was poised to knock on it and her eyes went wide as she came face-to-face with Sandy, for the first time in months. "Sandy!" Jos cried, closing the gap between the girls and pressing her mouth to the shorter girl's. _

"_Oh, My God! You're still alive! Did Kai hurt you?" Jos' hands swept through Sandy's hair, and over her shoulders, down her back; then their bodies were pinned together. Jos seemed to have forgotten that she was a vampire now, and that her strength could crush Sandy's ribs, with little effort. _

"_Jos, honey, too…hard," Sandy gasped out. _

_Easing her hold, Jos pressed her nose into Sandy's hair. Jos took a long whiff before pulling back and kissing Sandy, again. Their bodies were trembling as Jos held onto Sandy, and Sandy's fingers moved over Jos' cheeks. "You came," Sandy whispered, tears of joy running down her cheeks as she shook. "You came for me." _

_Jos nodded. "But we need to go. We need to get home, before Kai shows up. And all hell breaks loose." She pressed her forehead to Sandy's, a smile lighting up her features, and then she let out a low cough. _

"_Jos?" Sandy's hands tried to keep hold of Jos who began to cough harder. Jos' hand went to her middle and she clutched it as a red stain began to form on the over-sized t-shirt she wore. Her knees gave out, and she looked up at Sandy, blood dribbling over her lips. _

"_Like I say 'If at first you don't succeed… Oh, wait. No, I learned that one from Katherine. You remember her. Right, your team killed her. Well, I bet you wish you'd gotten around to taking out little ol' me, too." Kai said, grinning, and he waved the bloody knife in his hand. "By the way: True story—this is the same knife I used on Jo 1.0, on her wedding day. Now, let's see if I can help you reunite with your girl, on a more permanent level." _

_Sandy gasped out a sob of grief, and held out her hands, to ward Kai off with her magic. Sandy found she was tapped out. _

"_Sorry. I kind of sleep-siphoned you, just a little." Kai held up two fingers, pinched together. _

_Letting out a scream, Sandy ran for the stairs. "Jake!" she screamed. _

_Kai laughed. "He's taking a nap. In the quarry. Hear he loves that place." _

~0~

Kai watched Sandy jerk in her sleep as he held her ankle. She was just so cute when she was sleeping. Just like mommy.

Patting her foot, Kai slipped back into his own room. He had big plans before they left the Prison World.

~0~

**Day One: **

"What in the hell?" Kai screamed, down on his knees as he looked around himself. Another Prison World. "This cannot be happening! Not again!" he screamed, his hands in his hair.

A low moan came from nearby. Kai whirled around and found Bonnie's daughter lying within reach. He crawled over and jerked her into a sitting position. "You did this!" he growled into her face. "And you're getting us back! Right now!"

Sandy nodded. "Okay. You don't have to shout. I can hear you!" she cried, her head ducking. Her shaking hands held onto the ascendant and she began to speak in Latin. The ascendant rose in the air, and then, in a brilliant flash of light, it exploded, like a firework.

"Are you insane!" Kai shouted, his hands on the girl's shoulders. His face bent to her neck, and he sunk his fangs into her. As he drank, he saw everything she saw. He knew everything she knew.

Letting her drop to the ground, Kai wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He knew how he would destroy the Mystic Falls gang, and they would wish he'd killed them instead.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Answers to guest reviews: **

**Emma Salvatore: Thank you! I was trying to figure out what to write for Christmas. You gave me an idea for a one-shot called: Father Christmas which will continue the Landon as Damon's kid storyline. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, my lovely readers. We've got Salvatore drama and a lot of friendship moments. On with the show…**

Chapter 3: Do You Know Who You Are?

_Sam _

Blood pumped Samuel Salvatore's veins as he drank from a blood bag and then disposed of it in the trash that his mother would take back to the hospital and set inside the medical waste container. His parents had warned Sam that he had to be extra careful now. However, Sam felt happy and was not too worried about someone grabbing him in the middle of the night.

Grinning from ear to ear, Sam adjusted his dad's old leather jacket and his new dark shades before he walked into his high school. He could feel the eyes of his fellow students drift his way. It was a new day for Sam. Last year, he was one of the biggest geeks in town. Those days were over.

"Sammy!" Freddy Lockwood called. He headed down the hallway and slapped Sam a high-five before he patted Sam on the back. "Lookin' good, my friend."

"Thanks, Freddy. Where's Hope?" Sam asked, taking his girlfriend Artemis's hand and swinging her outward and then into the crook of his elbow, kissing the top of her head.

Freddy's head darted to the left and as if appearing out of nowhere, Hope Mikaelson entered the hallway. It felt like a rerun of the year before—when Sam was still in love with Hope—but this time her hair hung long, dark and straight. She came to stand near them, without Todd, her former boyfriend. Hope was no longer the queen of the school. And Todd would never again be king of anything.

"Good morning," Hope said, hefting her book bag up her shoulder. "Temis, I love the necklace," she told her cousin, nodding at the necklace that Temis wore that morning.

Temis touched the amethyst that hung from her neck. No girl that Sam knew could afford a rock like that. It must weigh about half a pound and looked like it might have last been seen around the neck of some princess in Europe, about three centuries ago. "Its Mum's," Temis said.

"It brings out your eyes," Hope said as they headed down the hallway.

The other students whispered as they passed. Sam figured it was because of the weird group they made. Hope Mikaelson. Artemis Gerard. Sam Salvatore. Freddy Lockwood. Sounded like the beginnings of _The_ _Breakfast_ _Club_.

Once they entered their English class, they settled toward the back of the room. Hope leaned back in her seat and offered the humans nearest them a smile. They smiled back but Sam caught at least one of them pass another a note which went into a pocket, instead of being read. Weird, but nothing to think about.

"How is Fanny?" Hope asked, turning to her right, to look Sam in the eye. Sam felt Freddy's eyes on him, too.

Sam inhaled. "She's good. Just a little sick. Some kind of flu bug. Basically, she's puking. A lot. Mom's taking her to see a doc, later today."

Hope nodded. "Sorry to hear that."

Sam nodded. He knew that Fanny was pregnant. Artemis knew, too. She'd figured it out first, a couple of weeks back.

~0~

_"Good morning," Temis whispered, snuggling up to Sam, her nose buried in his chest._

_"Mornin,'" Sam said, curling his arms more tightly around the little Tri-brid and he buried his nose in her hair, inhaling and feeling at home. Well, he was at home. In his own bed. Temis's parents had gone out-of-town for the weekend. And Temis had snuck into Sam's bed Friday night. Today was Saturday._

_Sam decided he'd worry about getting Temis past his parents later. He was enjoying the feel of her too much. A knock on the door made Sam sit up. "Honey, I made breakfast," Elena's voice called. "Are you dressed?"_

_"No! No, mom!" Sam shouted, placing a hand over Temis' mouth as she began to giggle._

_"Okay. We're downstairs. I've got to go into the office. And your dad is at work." Damon made his own hours and sometimes that meant he worked on the weekends—especially during the summer—when he could make extra money._

_Footsteps led away from the door and Sam slid back down and under the covers. Artemis climbed on top of him and began to spread hot kisses down his body and Sam groaned. "Temis, I have to go down. She'll come back up if I don't."_

_"Bring me food, darling," Temis whispered, her blue eyes boring into Sam's ice blue ones before she threw herself off and to the side._

_Grinning, Sam caught Temis' face between his hands and he pressed a fevered kiss to her lips. "Go swimming with me, later?"_

_"Here?" Temis asked._

_Damon had a pool built about a year ago for Sam, Fanny and their growing group of friends. The group made good use of it over time._

_"No. I thought we could hang with Hope and Freddy, today." Sam said, watching Temis tug at her lower lip before sighing and rolling her eyes. "If you wish. I just like having you all to myself," she added, lowering her eyelids and propping herself up on her elbow._

_Scooting off the end of the bed, Sam walked to his desk chair and grabbed his discarded T from the night before. He took a quick sniff of it and then pulled it over his head. He pulled a dresser drawer open and found a clean pair of jeans and tugged them on before looking for his sneakers, under the bed._

_Temis rolled onto her stomach and produced a sneaker, waving it at him. Sam grabbed the sneaker, kissed his girlfriend again and shoved his feet into his sneakers. "I'll be back," he whispered._

_"You'd better be," Temis said, waving a teasing bare foot at him. Looking at his girlfriend who only wore her panties and one of his other T-shirts; Sam stopped himself from diving on the bed._

_Instead, Sam exercised self-control and left his room. He sped down the stairs, startling Fanny who looked pale and had dark circles. She stopped mid-step, a cereal bowl in her hand, an unopened bottle of milk in her other hand._

_"Hey, Fan? You not feeling better?" Sam asked, kissing his little sister's forehead._

_Fanny shook her head, relaxing minutely and sat down, curling her legs under her._

_Elena came over and set a plate with bacon and eggs in front of Sam. Fanny's nose wrinkled and she made a little gagging noise. Pushing the offending plate to the other side of him; Sam watched his mother grab her purse. "I have to go. Be good." She strode over to hug both her kids before she left the house._

_"I'm going to eat in my room," Fanny said, picking up her bowl and Sam sped the milk back into the fridge. He made another plate for Temis, poured some OJ and then put everything on a tray. Fanny was still making her way back to her room when Sam was on the top stair._

_"Sam?" Temis called, coming out in the hall._

_"Artmis?" Fanny looked at Sam. "She's not supposed to spend the night," she pointed out._

_"You look tired, dear," Temis said, ignoring Fanny's comment. "Here. Let me take this and let's get you to bed." Temis took Fanny's cereal and waited for Fanny to go into her room._

_Sam stood outside the room while Temis set the cereal down. Temis pressed a hand to Fanny's forehead before leaning closer and sniffing his sister. "Temis, what are you doing?" Fanny protested, leaning away from Temis and then gagging. "Sammy, get that out of my room!" she cried, waving both hands at the bacon and eggs. "Ew!"_

_"Sorry," Sam said, backing up and going into his own room. He heard Fanny's door close and Temis came into his room with a weary look. "What?" he asked, picking up a slice of bacon, taking a bite._

_"Fanny's with child, Samuel," Temis said._

_"What?" Sam choked on his bacon._

_Temis sighed. "I can smell it on her. It's the new hormones. She's having a baby, Sam. You're going to be an uncle."_

_"Oh," Sam sighed and sat down. "Huh."_

~0~

"What was MacBeth's reasoning for killing MacDuff?" their teacher asked and Sam sat up straighter.

"'Cause Netflix cut him a new contract to do so," one of the human kids in the class joked. "They're killa." The boys slapped hands with a friend of his.

"I thought we were reading _Romeo and Juliet_," Freddy said, turning to give Hope, Sam and Temis a worried look.

Hope grinned. "At least there wasn't a quiz."

Shaking his head, Sam rolled his eyes toward the window. He wondered about why any of them really went to high school anymore. They could go back, a century from now. The sight of a group of men walking across the grass, a young woman in handcuffs made Sam reach out and poke Hope.

Hope spun in her seat to take in the sight of their algebra teacher being led away by a group of men who they were becoming familiar with seeing. "Those are the men who took Jos," Hope hissed out, her eyes narrowing.

Now other kids, human kids, were getting out of their chairs and walking over to the windows. Mr. Bradly, their Advanced Lit and Comp teacher, came over to watch Ms. Jenkins being hauled away. "Class, please, go back to your seats," Mr. Bradly told them, herding kids back to their seats, like unruly goats.

"You think she's a vamp?" one girl whispered to another with a giggle.

"No, Stupid. Vamps don't walk in the sunlight!" the other girl said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah. They do," a boy said. His head inclined toward Hope and the group began to giggle before sitting back down.

When the class was over, Hope was the first to get up. "I needed to get out of here," she told them, so low the humans could not hear her. She darted out of the room, barely using human speed.

Sam got to his feet but Temis' long look stopped him from darting after Hope. Freddy shoved his things from his desk and into his bag. He elbowed his way out of the classroom. Temis and Sam followed their human classmates out and into the crowded hallway.

Leading the way, Temis tracked down Hope without a problem. Werewolf genes helped. Hope shook imperceptibly. "You need to leave?" Freddy asked, his hand going around Hope's wrist, slipping down to entwine his fingers with hers.

Sam and Temis traded looks. It looked like Freddy was wasting no time to try to get into Hope's…good graces, while Jake was in some Prison World, doing who knew what. Jake might not be Sam's best friend but Sam did not approve of Freddy's jumping in there, not like this.

"I'm okay," Hope offered them a smile. "Maybe I should have claimed to be sick, too, like Li. She's really milking this thing with Jos."

"Is she okay?" Theo Gerard appeared next to Sam. Wondering how you snuck up on a vampire, Sam made room for Theo's over six-foot body and moved closer to Theo's little sister, Temis.

Theo folded his arms over his chest. "Li and I haven't talked since the wedding."

"She's okay," Hope said, a forced smile on her face. "Just give her a couple of more days."

Nodding, Theo looked to Temis who offered him a happy grin.

"Shall we?" Temis inquired. Together, they headed down the hall and around the corner. They stopped when Hope let out a gasp. "Oh, no," Temis groaned.

A very prominent picture of the late Poppy Prentice stood propped atop a table with more than a dozen bouquets of flowers, a few girls stopped to shed tears. Someone had set a coffee cup beside Poppy's head-shot.

Hope inhaled and moved further down the hallway. Sam saw it but was not able to stop Hope before she saw it, too.

Murderer was painted in large, red, jagged letters across Josie Saltzman's locker and Hope let out a howl of rage. Other students suddenly stopped walking and turned, to stare, wide-eyed at Hope. Letting out another, louder cry of anguish, Hope swore. "Damn them!" she cried, her hands in her hair. Tears were running down both her cheeks now. "Damn them!"

"Hope," Freddy took hold of Hope. He turned her face into his shoulder and leaned down, scooping her up and carried her down the hall. Sam and Temis followed until they got to a girl's bathroom. Freddy kicked the door open and set Hope on top of a window ledge while Temis leaned on the wall by the door and Sam looked under the stalls.

"I'm going to kill them!" Hope hissed out as Sam held up his thumbs to let everyone know that no humans were in the room. "I'm going to rip out their spines. I'm going to…"

"Hope, breathe," Freddy said, his hands on her knees as Hope trembled and Sam worried that she might change. If she changed, Freddy would change, and then all hell would break out. Nope. They needed to stay calm.

"They took my sister," Hope's voice came out sounding very much like a wolf's growl. "They took my little sister!" Her eyes glowed in the sunlight. "I am going to," her claw began to break the tile behind her.

"Hope! Please! Don't!" Sam called, coming closer. "Please!"

Hope turned her brilliant golden eyes on him. "Sam…"

"Fanny's pregnant," Sam said, trying to distract Hope.

Hope's claws retracted. "She's what?"

"Fanny's having a baby. I guess it's Todd's. That's why she's not here. That's why she's been in hiding. Mom's taking her to a clinic, in Richmond. And I don't think Fanny wants to be there. She's scared, Hope," Sam said slowly. He'd heard some things his mother and sister said lately that he wished he hadn't.

"Then why are we here?" Hope asked, hopping down from the window sill. She marched toward the door. "We need to be in Richmond. We're Fanny's pack. We need to be there. Let's go." Temis moved out of the way and left the bathroom and the school. Sam just hoped his mother didn't kill him.

~0~

_Elena_

Silence tore through Elena Salvatore's car as she turned her head to examine her daughter's taut features. If Fanny's jaw did not loosen soon, the girl would have a terrible headache. Elena's fingers trembled on the steering wheel. She wanted to stop, to reach out, to gather her little girl into her arms and to cry.

Fanny might never forgive Elena for this appointment. Elena's fingers had frozen as they hovered over her cell phone key pad. A little white card sat on her desk.

Elena's eyes strayed from the card, to the keys and then to the window. She still remembered the feel of the tiny, crying bundle in her arms. Fanny's little arms pin-wheeling before Elena tucked Fanny inside the blanket and pressed her lips to the baby's warm cheek. Brown eyes met brown eyes and Fanny had stilled, staring at her mother in awe and Elena had laughed, looking to Damon who grinned like an idiot, a confused-looking Sam on his hip.

"We can get fro-yo, after we get done." Elena tried to make her words light. She hoped that Fanny would react toward the invite the way she did when she was ten, bouncing up and down, her pigtails flying.

Fanny turned a cold stare on her mother. No words came from her daughter's lips and Elena swallowed hard. Maybe Damon was right, maybe Elena should have allowed Fanny to figure things out on her own.

~0~

Standing in the family's kitchen, Elena's fingers attempted to dig into the counter top. Her eyes were on the floor as Damon came in the front door. It was eleven o-clock in the evening. He'd just come home from hanging out with Ric and Jeremy.

Elena's eyes shot to her husband. "You should have a drink," she told him. Without continuing, she turned around and reached for a cabinet door. Damon let out a chuckle and Elena could hear his footsteps moving toward her. "I already had a few," Damon said, kissing the back of her neck. His hands went around her hips and he pulled her back against him. "The kids in bed?" he inquired, his words muffled against her neck.

"Yes," Elena said. She poured water into a glass. Turning in Damon's arms, Elena took her free hand and pushed Damon away. He looked surprised. She held the glass of water toward him. "Drink this."

"Is everything okay?" Damon asked, taking the glass. His smile fell and he took a long sip of water. Both his hands went around the glass.

Eyes falling back to the floor, Elena let out a huff of air. "No." She shook her head and then looked at the ceiling before she looked to her husband. "Fanny's pregnant, Damon."

"What?" Damon looked shocked and then he moved to the counter, standing next to Elena. He set the glass down, his eyes searching the counter for answers that would not come. "How…"

"She must have had sex with Todd. Before…" Elena sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She felt a headaches coming on. Curling a hand around Damon's arm, she pressed the side of her head against his warm, solid flesh.

Damon turned and put his arms around her. "This is freakin' Klaus' fault. I am going to kill that stupid hybrid."

"Damon, you already killed his daughter. Try not to make it worse," Elena whispered, pressing her face into his T-shirt.

Damon groaned. "Yup. Sorry. I just… I can't figure this out. How… I mean… I can't kill Todd. I mean, I suppose we try to bring him back…and then…"

"Damon, that isn't funny." Elena pulled back to meet Damon's icy blue stare.

Shrugging, Damon sighed. He lifted a hand and ran it through her hair. "I didn't mean it to be funny." Turning serious, he tried to smile. "We're going to be grandparents? Huh? I thought I still had some time. Now that one is funny. You know, I should have great-great-great-grandkids, and I here I am, complaining about having a grandkid." Chuckling, Damon placed his cheek against Elena's and began to dance her around the room. "We're getting old, baby."

Elena tried to smile, but she could not allow the worry that ate at her to find any kind of good in this moment.

~0~

"Hey," Elena said to Fanny, who still refused to look at her. "This is your decision," she said, quietly.

Fanny let out a dry laugh. "Sure, mom. Whatever you need to get yourself to sleep at night."

Parking the car, Elena kept one eye on the anti-abortion people. A few of them started toward them and Elena took Fanny's hand, marching her daughter past these narrow-minded idiots and to the front doors of the Planned Parenthood facility.

A woman sat at the front desk and Elena watched Fanny go to the desk and take a clipboard. Her daughter filled out the form before setting in front of the receptionist. Fanny came to sit down and refused to look at Elena.

When it was time, Fanny got up and Elena got up, too. "Fanny, you're going to be okay," Elena said. This was not The Appointment. Fanny would be sitting down with a counselor. Then she would have forty-eight hours to weigh her options; if she decided to terminate.

Looking at the clock, Elena waited. Her body felt tense. She needed a drink of water. But she did not want to get up. What if Fanny came out? What if Fanny ran out of here, and straight into the anti-abortion people and they tried to hurt her? So, Elena sat, her knee doing a little dance.

Getting up, after half an hour, Elena picked up a magazine. She realized she'd already read it, put it down and looked at the clock. Did it really take this long to get through a consultation? Elena did not know. She'd never gone to one of these appointments. She'd wanted both of her pregnancies.

Going to the front desk, Elena offered the woman her best family doctor smile. "Hi. Um. Excuse me. Could you tell me how long this will be?"

The woman smiled back at Elena. "You're the mother?" Elena nodded. "With each appointment, it takes a different amount of time, hon, some take longer, because of questions that come up. Then again, some women know exactly what they're getting into, and it doesn't take as long. It's better to just try to relax."

"Yeah?" Elena let out a nervous laugh and tucked her hair behind her ear.

Forcing herself to turn around, Elena took a seat and looked at the ceiling. Her fingers curled and uncurled as she sat back. Something was telling her to get the hell out of there. But she tried to tell herself that she was doing the best thing for Fanny. Fanny needed to make an informed decision, not one that other people pressured her into, even if she thought that that was what Elena intended to do. Many girls could not even legally make an appointment like Elena made for Fanny.

With another sigh, Elena allowed her head to lull to the side and she took in the sight of the front door opening. A tall woman, in a dark raincoat came in and went to the front desk. She spoke to the receptionist who stood up and opened the door.

The woman walked inside and then the receptionist slid the glass partition closed so Elena could no longer see behind the counter. Cursing her lack of vampire-hearing; Elena got up and edged closer to the counter, acting as though she wanted a pamphlet.

"The girl is in the back," the receptionist said. "She's being examined, per your request, ma'am."

Elena felt her spine stiffen. Her hand went to her purse and she opened it, fumbling for her phone. She needed to call Damon. Her fingers shook over the key pad and she tried to think of what to say to him. She began to silently curse herself for ever taking Fanny to this place.

The front door suddenly opened and Elena's head spun. She found herself looking into the worried eyes of her son. "Sam? What are you doing here?" Elena cried, fear in her voice and she wished she could keep it together.

"I know about Fan," Sam said. "We're here. For whatever she decides to do."

Elena went over to Hope who had her arms crossed over her chest. Pressing a series of keys, Elena handed the phone to the teen girl, whose eyes widened.

Artemis peered at the phone and Freddy looked over the girl's shoulder. His brows went up. With a gasp he gave a sharp nod and left the reception room.

Artemis went right behind him.

"Oh, my Gooooodddddd!" Hope cried, suddenly leaning over. "Owwww. Oh, no…. Owwwww!" she cried, holding her middle. Sam threw an arm around Hope and looked like he was keeping her on her feet.

The partition came open and receptionist peered at Hope in alarm. "Miss, are you alright?"

"No. I'm pregnant and….ouch…!" Hope cried out, holding her middle.

The receptionist came out, hurrying toward Hope and wrapping an around her. "Come on. We need to get you to the doctor."

"Oh. No. I can't move," Hope said, falling on the floor and rolling around.

Hope jerked her head to Elena who slipped inside the reception area. The woman she'd seen before was gone. Pushing forward, Elena slipped down the hallway and peered inside empty examining rooms. When she finally saw a closed door; she pushed it open. "Sorry. I thought this was a lady's room," she told the male doctor who was drawing her daughter's blood.

"Mom?" Fanny looked shocked.

"Honey, it's time to go. Say good-bye to the nice doctor," Elena said, striding over to Fanny.

The doctor placed a hand on his hip. "Mrs. Salvatore. This is private."

"Not anymore," Elena said. She knocked the vial of blood he'd set down with her purse. "Oops." Taking Fanny's hand, she helped Fanny off the bed and Fanny bent and scooped up her clothing. They left the room as the mystery woman came out of the back room.

Elena tugged Fanny back down the hallway, ignoring the stranger woman who held a box. The woman moved backward as Elena marched Fanny into the reception room where Hope had begun to scream and beg all of the gods to help her.

When Hope caught sight of Elena and Fanny, she sat up. "Oh. Thank you. I feel so much better," she told the receptionist with a grin and leapt to her feet.

Sam pushed the door open and Elena pressed Fanny into the crook of her arm, making her way toward Freddy's car. "I'll get ours towed," she told the kids, who did not protest on their way out of the parking lot.

Some of the anti-abortion people let out whoops. "Did you do it?" they shouted.

"No," Fanny told them.

"God loves you!" One them yelled in response.

"My body, my choice!" Hope yelled back at them.

"Good one, Hope," Freddy called out the window.

It looked like they would be beaten with posters when Elena pushed Fanny into the back of Hope's car, Hope hopped into the passenger side. Sam and Artemis slid into the back with Fanny and Elena and Freddy gunned the engine. "Good-bye, Richmond!" Freddy shouted, waving good-bye. "Now, that was a close escape," he said, speeding the heck out of town.

**This fic will not be updated next week. But there will be a **_**Legacies**_** Special: "The Unthankful Dead" on Tuesday, November 26. **

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Answer to guest review: **

**Guest: Thank you! I hope you enjoy this chap, too! **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, my lovely readers. We're back with Forbes/ Saltzman/ Mikaelson family drama. **

Chapter 4: Do You Know What You'll Do?

_Caroline_

Under any other circumstances, Caroline Forbes would create a plan of attack. No one messed with her kids and got away with it. Not Mystic Falls High's PTA, who—like most people with small minds- were confronted with what they do not understand—attempted to prevent her daughter's entrance to their school. And not these military-style ass-hats who took her baby because of a murder that Jos may or may not have committed.

However, Caroline could not go after the people who took her daughter, guns blazing, or fangs out, because it might end with her baby dead. So, Caroline had to sit back. She had to calm down. She had to allow Klaus Mikaelson, her future husband, to do what he did best: plot against their foes—even though it was kind of his fault this was happening in the first place...

What Caroline did was deal with the daughter who still lived under her roof.

"Li?" Caroline knocked on Lizzie's bedroom door and pushed it open. "Honey, are you awake?"

When no one answered, Caroline pushed the door open further. Noting an empty bed, Caroline's first thought was that Li snuck out of the house. What if the people who took Jos took Li, too? Panic filled her gut and she let out a hiss.

"Caroline?" Klaus' voice was in her ear.

Since Jos was taken, Klaus was never too far away. It was almost as if he could sense Caroline's internal battle over finding where Jos was tearing the men who took her to pieces, or to sit back and wait until they could find a more peaceful solution.

"Li's gone," Caroline gasped out. She felt tears prick her eyes. She hadn't felt this much panic since the day of her almost-wedding.

~0~

"_No! No! Not my baby!" Caroline screamed. Klaus held onto her waist. He was the only thing preventing her from going after men who had taken Jos off in an unmarked van. "Let go of me!" she shouted. She swung out and hit Klaus in the jaw. _

_Klaus went down, a shocked look on his face. He seemed to have forgotten the engagement ring he gave her which gave her the same powers he had—including his Original hybrid strength. "Caroline!" he shouted when she ripped the door open and tried to leave the house. _

"_Caroline!" Alaric stood in front of the door. "Care, calm down!" _

"_Get out of the way, Ric!" Caroline hissed out, her fangs dropping. _

"_Caroline!" Hayley was by her side, taking hold of her shoulder. "Please, this is not going to make things better." _

"_Let go of me!" Caroline swept out a hand and Hayley went flying. _

"_Mom!" Hope shouted. And then she was in front of Alaric, glowering at Caroline. "Stop this, Caroline," she snarled, eyes golden, fangs and claws out. One scratch and Caroline was in major trouble. _

"_This is not a fight you want, Hope," Caroline said, her mind only on Jos and what would be done to her. _

_Caroline really would have attacked Hope if not for a pair of arms wrapping around her middle. "Mommy," Li cried, sobbing and Caroline felt her magic draining away as her daughter sobbed against her back. "Please, stop…" Sliding to the floor, Caroline turned to hold her remaining daughter's head in her lap. "Mom…" _

~0~

Since the wedding, Li had kept to herself. Staying in her room. She did not take her friends' calls. She rarely talked to Hope which tore at Caroline because the girls were inseparable.

"Li?" Klaus called.

"Go. Away," Li said.

Klaus nodded his head at the closet. Caroline went over and opened the door. Sure enough, Li sat on the floor of the closet. One of Jos' sweaters was in Li's hands and she held it close to her. "Oh, honey," Caroline whispered. She slid down to sit beside her daughter.

"She's not coming back," Li sniffled, her head falling on Caroline's shoulder. "And I always hated this sweater." She let out a short laugh. "When she bought it I told her it looked like something someone's grandma knitted after she forgot what colors were."

"It's not that bad," Caroline replied. Honestly, the sweater would be one of the top ten things that Caroline would never be caught dead in when she was the twins' age.

"She made it look good. And I hated that," Li said, wiping tears off her cheek.

"Someone has to make beige look like a real color," Klaus joked.

Li looked up at Klaus. "You'll help find her, won't you?"

Kneeling, so they were eye-to-eye, Klaus placed a heavy hand on Li's shoulder. "I am at your service, Miss Saltzman. I will do whatever I can to help bring your sister home to you."

"Thank you," Li said, gulping.

Caroline heard an echo of her own gratitude from so many years ago when Klaus saved her life from Alaric-the-Original-Vampire-Murderous-Psycho. Too many years had passed. It almost made Caroline smile to think of that time, in the Mystic Falls hallway, when she still felt that Klaus was going to murder all of her friends but she felt things for him she shouldn't. Or she thought she shouldn't feel them. Things became more complicated as she grew up.

Klaus' eyes went to Caroline and he gave her his little, signature smirk. She smiled back at him and took his free hand. Their fingers entangled for a moment before Klaus stood up. "I will return to check on you both. Right now, I have other matters to discuss."

Caroline knew those other matters involved how to turn the narrative that Cami O'Connell's words had created and to calm the general hysteria in the public before ordinary people decided to play amateur vampire hunter.

"Li, you need to start going back to school," Caroline whispered to her daughter. "People are beginning to talk. Right now, we need to appear as normal as possible. Can you do that for me?"

Li looked at Caroline with such a look of resentment and contempt that Caroline swallowed thickly. She knew she would not have wanted to go to school if people knew what she was, but you had to make an effort.

"Not today, Mom." Li pushed herself to her feet. She headed for her bed. Pulling back the covers, Li slid into bed and pulled them over. "Maybe tomorrow," she mumbled.

Sighing, Caroline walked over to the bed. She took hold of the covers and tucked them under Li's chin, like she were still a little girl. "Tomorrow, Li."

"Bye, Mom," Li muttered, closing her eyes tight.

"Bye." Caroline leaned over and pressed a kiss to Li's hot cheek and left the room. Closing the door, she slid to the floor. Hand going to her mouth, Caroline pressed her palm to her lips, muffling the sounds of her heartbroken sobs.

_Li_

Without her twin, Li felt like she was missing her legs. She could barely force herself to care about all things she used to care about. She was supposed to be the head cheerleader this year, now that Hope stepped down. Li was supposed to be the head of a dozen committees, just like her mom, and Miss Mystic Falls. She was supposed to care.

Rolling her eyes at her many dresses, tops, skirts and shoes, Lizzie took Jos' ugly sweater off the floor and slid it over her head. She walked over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans she only wore to paint her room in, two years ago. They still fit even though she'd gained three inches. She'd pretend they were a new trend. Or not. Who cares?

Leaving her room, Li went into Jos room. Opening the closet, she removed Jos' black running shoes and slid her feet inside. Good thing they wore the same shoe size.

The last thing she did was to pull her hair into a plain band, low ponytail and who-really-cares-about-my-hair look.

Bag. And done. Li stalked down the hallway of Klaus' house to the front doorway. She felt a little shocked, but probably shouldn't have been that Hope and Freddy were waiting for her. "Hey, kid," Hope tried a smile.

Li just looked back at her. "Hi," she said dully.

"Ready to get back to MF?" Freddy replied, arms crossed over his chest, eyebrow rising.

"No." Li walked past them. "Whatever."

~0~

It was on the way into the school that Li really felt panic beginning to set in. No! She could not do this. Turning back around, Li started to leave when Freddy caught her elbow. "Li, you need to make it through the day."

"I can't," Li hissed back, though gritted teeth.

"You don't have a choice," Hope retorted, moving to make eye contact with Li. "I can't compel you, but I can pull the 'Big sister' card," Hope told Li who rolled her eyes.

Shouldering her bag, Li turned around and marched down the hallway. She could hear people whispering about her. "Li!" Sam Salvatore's voice put Li on edge. Because wherever Sam was…

"Lizzie," Artemis' arms came around Li before she could think the girl's name. Yes, that girl was never far behind. Another, freakin' Mikaelson. Gerard, but it all meant the same thing. Sister of Rebekah bloody Mikaelson. Adoptive son of Klaus Mikaelson. One way or another, Artemis would be a Mikaelson. And there was also the problem of the other person who would not be far from Artemis…

"Elizabeth," Theo breathed. "I…"

Li's eyes stayed on the floor. If she looked at him; she would lose it. She could not afford to lose it in front of all of these…people. So-called humans. They made her sick. A real human would not snatch someone's family from them. They would tell them where Jos was. Jos would get a trial. This was not fair.

"Li." Theo's fingers slid around her bare hand. "Baby…"

"Not now, Theo." Li jerked her hand away, as if he'd burned her. She hated herself in that moment. She hated the whole world. They were destroying all that was good about her. Maybe Jos was right; maybe the world was fundamentally fucked up.

"Li?" Theo's hurt tone made Li cringe further into herself.

Thankfully the early morning bell rang. "Class," Li muttered.

"Yeah," the others said.

~0~

Hours passed, Li made her way up and down the halls in fugue state. She did not talk to people. They generally avoided her. Good. Let it stay that way. Mom and Dad would be disappointed in her performance. Li was supposed to put on a good, little human show. But Li did not feel like a good little human.

Deciding to skip lunch and go the library, Li slipped around the corner, dodging the on-coming foot traffic that included Freddy and Sam. She pushed the library door open with her elbow and then went inside.

Honestly, Li did not spend that much time in the library. That was for people like Fanny Salvatore and Sandy Bennett-Gilbert. They were the resident geeks of the school. Maybe Sammy still hung out in here, sometimes, when he wasn't with Temis and doing something vampiric.

Walking to the end of the stacks, Li caught sight of a girl with a familiar head of black curls and large brown eyes. "Fan?" Li called. Then she remembered the rules and lowered her voice. "Fanny!"

Fanny looked back at her. She had an orange clutched in her hands but did not bother unpeeling it. "Hey!" she called, waving.

The girls had never been what you would term close, but since Todd Donovan's sudden death, Li tried to be there for Fanny. Unfortunately when Jos disappeared, Li gave up on her self-assigned duties to the younger girl.

Li fell to the floor beside Fanny and pressed her back against the wall. "Not hungry?" she asked Fanny, nodding at the orange. When Fanny cocked her head to the side, Li answered. "Me neither."

"It's got acid and makes me sick," Fanny said.

"Everything makes me sick," Li said. She pulled her knees under her chin.

"I'm pregnant," Fanny said.

Li's head spun to take in the girl's expression. "You'd better be serious! 'Cause that's not funny!" Fanny nodded grimly. "Huh? Todd's?" Li felt bad about putting it that way. But she didn't really know Fanny that well. Although she could not imagine Fanny using her freshman year to explore her sexual awakening, unlike Li. Some people blossom early.

"Wow." Li shook her head. "Jos is locked up. You're prego. Todd's gone. This is one hell of a start to a new school year."

"Ya think?" Fanny asked. She rolled her eyes and smirked, looking remarkably like her dad. "Are you okay? Not okay-okay, but are you going to go ballistic and try to magically attack the school? Just looking for a heads-up, so I can get the heck out of here."

Li smirked. "If I lose it, I will text you a warning."

"Good to know." Fanny smiled and began to unpeel the orange.

"Thought that would make you pukey?" Li asked, staring at the fruit.

Fanny shrugged. "At this point, everything make me sick."

Li held out a hand. "I forgot to get lunch. And by forgot, I mean I'm trying to avoid everyone we know and love."

Placing a slice in Li's palm, Fanny smirked. "What do you think I'm doing here?"

"I thought you were working on whatever end-of-the-year project you geeks are planning this time," Li retorted, her eyes lighting up. She finally felt somewhat normal.

"Us geeks?" Fanny shook her head. "Such an elitist, Li." She placed an orange slice in her mouth and began to chew it slowly.

Li grinned. "And you think so highly of me?"

Fanny titled her head back and forth. "Sometimes."

"Bullshit," Fanny laughed.

Letting out a shocked laugh, Li covered her mouth when a librarian passed by and gave them a long look. Li placed her finger to her lips and pretended to hush Fanny. Giggling, Fanny handed over another piece of orange. It felt good to talk to someone.

After a long moment of silence, Li broke it. "What are you doing after school?"

Fanny choked on her orange slice and Li patted her on the back. "Are you asking me out, Elizabeth Saltzman?" Fanny inquired, wriggling her eyebrows at Li.

Li grinned back. "Yes. So, you want to find something to distract ourselves with and to wile away our young lives?" She pressed her hand to her heart. Her old dramatics came back like riding a bike.

"Sure," Fanny nodded.

"Good." Li pushed herself to her feet. "I guess we probably have to make an appearance in our classes," she moaned. Holding out both hands, she beckoned Fanny with wriggling fingers.

Fanny took Li's hands and allowed the older, taller girl to jerk her to her feet. "Thanks. The bigger I get, the harder it is to get up." Fanny placed a hand on her middle. The girl's billowy T-shirt flattened to her rounding middle.

"Oh! That's so cute!" Li bent over. "Hello, little, bitty, becoming a baby fetus thingy."

"Li, cut it out!" Fanny cried, laughing quietly. She rubbed her belly. "I haven't told many people. Only my parents, Sammy and Temis know." Fanny's expression turned serious. "I'm not ready to talk about it." She tugged her shirt out, to make it billow again.

"Okay. I can keep a secret." Turning back to leave the library, the two girls made their way to the doors. It felt like Li might be able to make it through this day.

"Li!" a girl from the senior classes called out. "Hear Jos killed, like, some chick called Pippy something?" The girl's eyes were wide and she twirled a curl around her ear.

Fanny jumped in. "Actually, Jos has been smoking dope. Their new dad, big time artist, with big piles of money insisted that Jo gets help or he's going to freak!" She made her eyes wide and shook her dark head of hair. "So cray, right?"

"Really!" the other girl said with a light laugh. "See ya, Li!"

"See ya!" Li called back. She turned to Fanny. "Thanks," she breathed.

Soon they had made their way toward Li's next class, without too much drama. Until a friend of Poppy's appeared. "Oh, My God! You shouldn't even be here!" Poppy's little friend cried, tears forming in her big, blue eyes. Her blonde head swung back and forth in disgust. "You should be locked up, like your murdering sister, and that freak, Hope Mikaelson, should be staked!"

"What did you say?" Li demanded. All of her own pep and cheer fled her completely. All she saw was blind rage at the thought of what the girl said.

The girl did not back down the closer Li got to her. Instead her chin jutted outward and her feet spread into a fighting position. Oh, so this girl wanted to fight Li. Well, that was okay with Li. She might not be a vampire, or a wolf, but she would kick this girl's ass for what she said.

"Li!" Fanny's hand slid into Li's and she entangled their fingers. "Don't! Please! This isn't what Jos would want from you."

For a second, Li thought about laughing. Jos would be happy to throw-down. This girl would be flat on her ass if it were Jos standing here. Taking a moment, Li gripped Fanny's hand tight and inhaled. "Okay. You're right." She turned her head. "Dana, screw off!" she snapped before turning her back on the other girl. Li heard Dana gasp in shock but Li felt good. She squared her shoulders and, together, she and Fanny marched away.

_Jos_

Jos stared into the middle distance of her cell. She hated it here. She wanted to tear the guards apart and get the heck out of dodge. Of course, getting out was easier said than done. As she learned her first night here.

~0~

"_Get off of me!" Jos snarled at one of the guards who tugged her back to the cell. She caught sight of other people. They all looked like her—human. But Jos knew better. She would put good money on these people being vamps, wolves and witches of some kind or other. _

_Sighing, Jos gave up when one of the guys slid another needle into her neck. It made her drowsy. Vervain. She hated the stuff. It stung like a bitch. She wondered if her mother married Klaus. What was Li doing? Was she okay? Did they capture James? Hopefully Kol caught wind of this bull and took James away. _

"_In you go," one of the guards said. He kicked her in the back of the knee and she fell into her cell. "Ow," Jos groaned. "You have to kick a girl when she's down?" she complained as the door slid closed._

"_A girl?" the guard looked at his partner and then at Jos. "You still think you're a girl? Huh? That's funny. I should tell Townsend that one. Oh, he's going to really enjoy interrogating this one." _

"_Who the hell is Townsend?" Jos shouted back. _

_But the guards left, choosing to ignore her. Jos rubbed her eyes. She wanted to take a nap but did not like the idea of sleeping when she did not know what these idiots planned on doing to her." _

"_You don't want to know Townsend," a new voice called. _

"_Yeah? He a friend of yours?" Jos called back. She forced herself to the front of her cell. _

"_Not even in my worst nightmares. You've seen a sewer drain?" the voice asked. _

"_Yes." Jos nodded. _

_A chuckle followed. "Ever seen the film with the clown in the sewer?" _

_Jos thought about it. She thought Freddy might have made her watch both versions at some point. Man, she even missed Fred. "Yup," Jos replied, leaning her head face against the wall. _

"_Townsend is the guy they send to interrogate the clown and the clown stops laughing," the voice said drily. _

"_Oh?" Jos felt her stomach twirl. "Good thing I don't scare easily then." She let out a low laugh. Honestly, the only thing that scared her right now was the idea that her parents, Li, Hope, or James got stuck here, with her. Then there was Sandy. What if Sand made it back? What if she came home and found out about Jos and she came looking? _

_Closing her eyes, Jos reminded herself to breathe as a slow snarl came out and her fangs lowered. Damn. No self-control. That's what got her here in the first place. If she'd decided to let Poppy go, not act like a psychotic idiot like Jacob and ripped the girl apart… Well, Jos couldn't go back. _

"_What's your name?" the voice asked. _

"_You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine," Jos replied. She hoped to hell this wasn't some kind of psych experiment where it turned out her new buddy was part of the system. _

"_Penelope," the voice said. "My name is Penelope."_

"_Penelope," Jos sighed. "I'm Josette. Or Jos as my family and friends call me. So, what did you do to end up here?" _

"_Wrong place. Wrong time," Penelope said, her voice darkening. _

"_Sounds about right," Jos looked at the ceiling. It looked like glass, Jos did not want to know what might come out of it. _

"_You two making friends?" another voice called to them. _

_Jos looked up and into a pair of soulless eyes. Or if Jos believed in a soul, she would say this guy definitely missed the line the day they were being handed out. _

_The man grinned at Jos. "Hey, there, cutie. Want to have a little chat?" _

"_What do I get if I say: No!" Jos inquired, tilting her head to the side and offering him an endearing smile. _

"_You get a life-time's worth of vervain," the man said. _

"_Lay off her, Townsend. I can use a chat. Let me stretch my legs," Penelope called to Townsend. _

"_Not tonight, Pen. I've got a newbie to train." Townsend moved aside and another, shorter man with dark hair looked down at Jos. "Freak, this is Cousins. Cousins, this is a freak. Take a good, long look at her. She's got teeth that rip your pretty neck open and suck you drier than a turnip." _

_Cousins glared at Jos like she intended to make him into her bedtime snack. As if. Jos preferred to feed off girls. They smelled better. _

"_Get up, freak," Townsend said. Jos pushed herself against the wall and stood, on shaking legs. "Don't you move a muscle," Townsend warned Jos as he opened the cell door. _

_Cousins walked in, his hands clutched in a serious pair of bracelets. "But we just met. I can't accept jewelry," Jos gasped, holding out her wrists to be cuffed. _

_When Cousins moved to clap the silver on her, Jos's hands darted and she spun him around. Her hands clutched his head and she leered at Townsend. "Let me go, and I don't kill your buddy here!" Jos nodded at the quaking Cousins. _

"_I have a baby at home," Cousins cried, shaking in Jos' grip. _

_Jos pressed harder. "You've got two seconds. Then it's pop, like a grape, T." _

_Sighing, Townsend shook his head. Jos watched his hand go into his belt. Out came a gun and then Cousins let out a cry of pain. The sound of the gun going off made Jos' blood go cold. Townsend shook his head. "What a mess. Oh, well. Put the cuffs on. Or I finish you off, too. And I was looking forward to finding out what the hell you are." _

_With shaking fingers, Jos took the blood spattered cuffs and put them on her wrists. She walked out of the cell and looked into the one to her left. Penelope looked somber. _

"_Clean up in Cell five," Townsend said into a walkie. "And I need a new newbie. Good help really is hard to find." _

_~0~_

Now, Jos leaned her head against the back of her cell. Penelope had been taken to some other part of this nightmare from hell. Jos felt her eyes sting and wiped angrily at the tears. She needed to conserve her energy.

_I'm not going to die in here_, Jos swore to herself. _I am going home. I am going home to Mom and my Dad, Li, Hope, Hayley, Klaus, and I'll be better this time. I'll be good. I promise. I'll be good._

Unrestrained tears flowed down Jos' cheeks and she let out quiet sobs, her face pressed into her knees. She would not let these people win. They would not destroy her. She would show them—Jos Saltzman was still human.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Answers to guests' reviews: **

**Guest: Thank you! That's very kind of you. Hope you enjoy this chap, too. **

**Emma Salvatore: Thank you! I plan on writing "Father Christmas" sometime between the 15-17****th**** and posting it sometime between the 18****th**** and the 23****rd****. I wish I could more specific but there's a lot to get through in between. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, my lovely readers. The future may or may not be bright. On with the show…**

Chapter 5: In the Face of All of This Pain

_Bonnie_

Again, Bonnie Bennett woke up in sweat-drenched blankets and gasping for breath. Her heart slammed against her ribs. Her eyes pooled with tears. Her hand, instinctively, went to her middle. Yes. They were still there. Growing bigger, every day. Sometimes she wished she would wake up to a flat stomach and know that this nightmare would end.

"Bonnie?" Jeremy Gilbert—the best husband anyone could ever ask for, in Bonnie's opinion—nuzzled his nose into her hair and pulled her back to his chest.

They sat together, breathing together. His hands went over her middle. She could tell he was becoming attached to the two strangers growing inside her. She wished she wouldn't. They weren't his. She wished she could turn back the clock, but she couldn't…

"I'm getting a glass of water." Bonnie pulled away from Jer and slid across their big bed. The floor felt chilly on her bare feet. She placed her feet inside her slippers and then shuffled to the door.

Outside of her bedroom, Bonnie looked down the hallway. Her feet led her to a door. Cracking the door open, she half-expected to see her baby's head of dark curls arranged over her pillow in a tousled halo.

Sandy's chest would be going up and down, her breathing reassuring Bonnie that she was okay. When Sandy was little more than a baby, she'd had a sickness that came on so suddenly that Bonnie had stood in the bedroom of her four-year-old with her warm little body clutched to her chest.

"_Jeremy!" Bonnie had shrieked. "Jeremy!" _

"_What's wrong?" Jer had ahold of J. J. on his hip. The baby let out a powerful wail which made Sandy shudder in Bonnie's arms but she did not wake up. _

"_She's sick, Jer. Call Lena!" Bonnie cried, pressing a hand to her daughter's forehead. _

_Sandy was taking little, shallow breaths, and Bonnie could see how difficult it was for her baby girl to breathe. "No! No, God! Please, don't take her from me! I'll do anything," Bonnie murmured. If she had to, she would search every grimiore in the world, make a pact with Katherine Pierce, sacrifice someone; Bonnie was blinded by a mother's love. "I love, Sandra. Don't leave me!" Bonnie wept into her daughter's nightshirt. _

_Sandy replied with another shuddering breath. _

"_She's on her way," Jeremy called. He set J. J. on the bed. J. J. was not old enough to crawl yet. Jeremy came to stand beside Bonnie. "Let me…" He held out his arm, but Bonnie would not hand off her first-born. "Bon…" _

"_No, Jeremy. She needs her mama." Bonnie muttered, her eyes on her daughter's fevered flesh. "I've got you, baby. I'll never let you go. No one will ever hurt you. Mama will always be here." _

"Mama will always be here," Bonnie whispered, pressing her fingers to her lips and letting out a gasp. The pain at Sandy's absence felt like a knife through her gut.

Forcing herself away from her daughter's room, Bonnie went to the kitchen and poured a glass of cool water. She took a long sip of it. Her eyes went to the moon. It reminded her of wolves. It reminded her of Hope Mikaelson.

Going over to a chair, Bonnie sat down and propped her feet in the chair next to her. She cupped the glass between her two hands. Her eyes went back to the moon. Hope might be the most powerful witch of their time. Perhaps…

Closing her eyes, Bonnie began to devise a plan involving a young woman, barely more than girl who would help reunite Bonnie with her baby and she began to smile.

~0~

The next day, Bonnie met up with Elena, Caroline and Hayley. Their little coven of four. Or six, if you counted Bonnie's load, which she tried not to.

"Hey, Bon," Lena said. She wrapped an arm around her sister-in-law's shoulder and squeezed her shoulders. "How you doin'? And how are the newest members of our growing family?" she inquired, her head bent to the babies. A big smile was on Elena's face. If she knew that Bonnie was carrying Kai Parker's offspring she would probably puke.

Caroline sat back in her seat. She looked paler than usual. Who said vamps didn't need sleep? Caroline looked about how Bonnie felt, and Bonnie looked about how she felt. Hayley was quieter than usual. She sipped at her coffee, eyes on the tabletop.

"How's Elijah?" Bonnie asked Hayley. Just to have something to say.

Hayley's eyes darted from Bonnie to Caroline.

Finally, Caroline showed a glint of the old Caroline, a coy grin came to her face. "Yes, we want details, lady." She prodded Hayley with an elbow. "You two seem pretty cozy lately."

Rolling her eyes, Hayley's mouth tugged up in the corner. "Well, we're going to try to go on a little weekend trip. Maybe in the next month. We haven't really had any time to build things after the divorce…and Jos…"

Caroline bit her lower lip. "Has anyone made sure that Ric is okay?" She looked at her friends. "I've called and stopped by the house. He's been MIA since Jos…"

Now, no one seemed to want to talk.

Bonnie wished to think about something other than supes getting grabbed by the new _gestapo_ or about her monstrous little buns in the oven. "Come on, we have to have something positive to report, right?" she demanded of her friends. Her back decided to seize and she adjusted her position in her chair. "Hope found out about her scholarship yet?"

Hayley's face lit up. "Yes. She got in."

"To Harvard!" Caroline cried.

Elena let out a cry of delight.

Hayley beamed. "And Yale. Oxford. All of those snotty, pretentious Ivy League schools." She let out a puff of air. "I just can't believe that she'll be leaving me behind when the year is up."

"Whitmore is a good school," Caroline commented.

"Yeah, and if any of us had finished there…" Bonnie joked. "Well, I would like to be able to congratulate Hope, in-person, if possible. I can even make her a cake," Bonnie said.

"With your back?" Elena said, side-eyeing Bonnie.

"Always the doc, Doc," Bonnie retorted, grinning and patting Elena on the shoulder.

"Speaking of which… Duty calls," Elena said, glancing at her watch. "I'll see you all next week." She got to her feet, collected her purse and her coffee cup. "Bye," she called, waving at them, just like Damon. They were becoming the same person after all of these years. The thought made Bonnie chuckle and shiver at the same time.

Caroline sat forward. "I can help with the cake."

"You mean taste what I'm making?" Bonnie challenged, eyebrows rising. She offered Care a teasing grin.

Caroline nodded emphatically. "That one."

"Deal," Hayley told them. They got up and cleared the table. "See you around eight-ish?" The hybrid looked from Bonnie to Caroline.

Bonnie nodded. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

~0~

Around eight o-clock that night, Bonnie arrived on Hayley and Elijah's new doorstep. They'd moved in two blocks from Klaus and Caroline's new house after the couple, who lived there for the last fifty years, earned a handsome offer that would afford them a nice place on Cape Cod.

"Hi!" Hayley cried. She opened the door and Bonnie stepped inside.

"Wow! I love what you've done with the place," Bonnie said. She'd never been in this house, but she could tell where Elijah's influence had been. Centuries old painting were on display in the foyer. The teak wood on the floor shown.

Everything about the place breathed life from by-gone ages into the twenty-first century where certain technological devices reared their heads. However, Elijah seemed to have figured out how to quiet many of them. Thankfully.

"Bonnie. Caroline. You brought a cake. How thoughtful," Elijah said. "Hope will be down soon. She's with her little wolf friend."

"Elijah," Hayley said.

Elijah grinned at her. "Wolves are welcome in our home."

"What about witches?" Caroline joked, nodding at Bonnie. "She did bake a cake."

Bonnie giggled and rolled her eyes. "We are welcome to all supernatural who do not pose a threat," Elijah said evenly.

"Now that this bit of awkwardness is over, let's take this cake in the kitchen and slice it open?" Hayley suggested, clapping hands together.

"Sure," Bonnie said. She and Caroline went into the kitchen with Hayley.

Like most teenagers, Hope and Freddy seemed to smell the presence of an uneaten cake. Since they were wolves, they probably did smell it. "Cake!" Freddy cried, his eyes widening and he grinned. "Thanks, Mrs. Gilbert."

"You're welcome," Bonnie said.

Hope went to stand beside her mother. Hayley ran her hand through Hope's hair and Bonnie felt a prick of envy. She wished with every fiber of her being that she could make that motion with her own child. But Sandy was lost to her at the moment.

"Mmmm. So good, Mrs. Gilbert," Hope moaned, taking a bite of the Black Forest cake. "Chocolate. Can you teach me how to make it?" Hope took another forkful and then moaned, again. "This is magic," she said, laughing and pointing her finger at the cake. "Li's going to be so unhappy she missed out on it."

"Why don't we save her a slice?" Hayley suggested. She looked at Caroline who nodded, her silence speaking volumes.

"Hope. I was hoping we could talk. Just for a couple of minutes," Bonnie said.

Hope looked up from her cake. "Sure. Not a problem."

Hayley looked at Bonnie but her expression did not show worry. Bonnie felt relieved. She did not want Hayley to include herself in this discussion. Nor Caroline. No one knew that one of the secret ingredients in the cake was an herb that would make the other supes somewhat drowsy, but also leave them in a pleasant mood.

Hope led the way back to her room and closed the door. "What's up?" she asked, lighting some sage and sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"This," Bonnie revealed an ascendant she'd been building. "Will help you get into the new Prison World," she told the witch.

"Oh?" Hope's eyes lit up. "Really?" Her breathing had become heavier and she reached out for the ascendant.

"I want my daughter back," Bonnie told Hope. "Do you understand, Hope?" Bonnie watched Hope's eyes move to her meet her own.

"That's all I've wanted since they went in. We get Sandy and Jake. Leave Kai. That's always been the plan." The girl did not look much like a girl when she gave Bonnie a look that tore through the mother. Hope would dominate the magical world one day. Whether by force or by destiny; Bonnie did not know.

"We have a deal," Bonnie said. She handed the ascendant over to Hope. "You'll need some of my blood."

"Okay." Hope' fangs came out and she held out a hand for Bonnie's palm.

"No," Bonnie said firmly. She shook her head. "We're not doing it that way. The only way this works is if you and I go in together. You don't know Kai like I do. You don't know what he's capable of doing."

"I can guess," Hope said drily. "He's after my sisters. No way in hell I'm letting that monster out."

Bonnie shook her head. "It's either with me. Or without me. Your choice. I'll give you until the end of the week to make up your mind. Enjoy the cake." Without another word, Bonnie made her way out of the room and back downstairs. "I'm sorry, guys, but I am feeling kind of sick. You don't mind I go home?" she called.

"No!" Hayley waved a hand. "We'll talk tomorrow. Elijah, can you give Bon a ride?"

Elijah nodded and headed for the door. Bonnie followed him out and into the night. She caught sight of Hope watching her leave before the girl disappeared.

~0~

When the last day of the week she'd allotted to Hope came to an end, Bonnie got dressed for bed with a heavy heart. The girl thought she could do this without Bonnie. Too bad it would not work without Bennett blood.

Laying down beside her husband, Bonnie tried to go to sleep. Around midnight, she did fall into a restless slumber.

When her phone rang, Bonnie sat up. She blinked at the time: 11:59. Really? Who would be calling at this hour? Bonnie rubbed her eyes before answering the phone. "Hello?" she called, her voice cracking.

"I'm in," Hope said.

"Oh?" Bonnie's brain kicked to overdrive. "We'll talk tomorrow. Okay?"

"Right." Hope hung up.

Laying back down, Bonnie felt her body relax in what felt like a hundred years. Hope would help her. They would travel to the Prison World and save those they loved. The pillow beneath Bonnie became wet with her tears.

"Who was calling?" Jeremy groaned.

"It was a prank call," Bonnie said, "go back to sleep, baby."

Jeremy groaned and fell back asleep. Bonnie rolled over and buried her face in his chest. She would bring their baby home and no one would stand in her way.

_Matt_

Hands shoved down in his pockets, Matt Donovan inhaled sharply before allowing his eyes to fall on the name engraved in the granite stone: Todd Mathew Donovan. His only child. Perhaps the only child he'd ever have.

Matt set a flower on top of the stone. His fingers moved over the rough stone. It made his heat break all over again. His wife thought he didn't want revenge. But who did he begin with? Did he resurrect Esther Mikaelson and kill her for creating vampires? Did he find the first being to enact the werewolf curse? Did he turn on his friends? Where did it end?

Feeling alone, Matt would come out to the graveyard, every single day to talk to his boy. "Hi, Todd. Guess what? You're going to be a dad!" Laughing, Matt swiped at a hot tear. "You know you got off lightly. I mean, your mom would have freaked. I would have had to ground you. No football this year. No parties. Nope. You would be learning how to get your act together for little Fanny and this new life."

Blowing out a breath, Matt shook his head. "Your mom wants Fan to have the baby. I'm not sure Lena's a hundred percent happy with that…" Matt and Elena probably chewed on the same baby rattle. They lost their virginity to each other. They'd loved each other so much… He'd always love Elena. So, this felt harder than it should. They should all be happy…

Rolling his eyes, Matt looked at his feet. "Man, I wish I could hug you, kid." Chuckling, Matt tried to think of something good to say. "Your mom misses you."

Nope. Matt did not want to get into how far gone Maria had become since they lost their boy. But Fanny's baby seemed to have enlivened her. She'd gotten out of bed that day. She started showering again. But she made rare public appearances.

Matt had been using his personal tragedy to avoid public scrutiny. There were whispers amongst his fellow Mystic Fallers. Many of them were either on his side or were worried that he had yet to come forward on the "vampires in their midst" issue. Was Matt for, or against vampires? What about the other things? Wolves? Witches? People were scared.

Knowing he would have to speak on the subject soon, following the president's crackdown on the national emergency, a headache began to form behind his eyes. He'd gotten a call from Caroline the day that Jos was taken.

"I'm sorry, Care," Matt had told her. He'd tried to find out who had taken Jos, but it seemed the group existed outside of Mystic Falls jurisdiction. They could even be military. Nothing was made clear to Matt. He felt frustrated. People were being taken from his town and no one said "Boo," other than their families.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," Matt promised his son.

Turning his back on the stone, Matt marched back to his car. He was going to get to the bottom of Mystic Falls' newest mystery.

"Mayor Donovan," a voice called to him.

Frowning, Matt turned around to face a man he'd never met before. The man wore a suit but seemed somewhat uncomfortable in it. He pulled at the tie. "Don't know how you can stand to wear these get-ups all the time," the stranger grinned at Matt and held out a hand. "Sorry. My manners don't exist. Karl Townsend, at your service."

"At my service?" Matt felt confused.

Townsend leaned closer and waved a hand for Matt to lean in, as if there was a crowd in the empty cemetery. "My friends and I hear you have a supernatural community problem?" Townsend's friendly grin was cold and made Matt frown. "Am I right?"

"Are you part of the solution?" Matt inquired.

Townsend shrugged. "I do my part. National emergency. We all have to do our patriotic duty to control the threat." Townsend's eyes gleamed as he spoke. "My bosses would like you to come to dinner. Talk to some of us, find out if our interests align. If we're a good match, then perhaps we can help you stop the people who took your boy from you, Matt. You don't mind my calling you Matt, do you?"

Shrugging, Matt offered Townsend a smile. "The creatures who killed my son are dead, too."

Townsend let out a whistle. "Come on, Mr. Mayor. You don't believe they're all gone, do you? You've lived in this town, with these things…how long: decades? How long do you want to wait before they come for your wife? One of your little human friends? Kill every last man, woman and itty, bitty baby? Babies. They change the world. Help us heal when we're grieving…"

Matt narrowed his eyes. He had a feeling that Townsend was trying to send him a message. Fanny? "Fine. I'll meet with your bosses. Name a time and place."

"A car will stop by your office, say Friday, they'll wait until the parking lot is clear and then you get in. They'll make you feel a little weird. Some of my guys, they like the dramatics: cloak-and-dagger shit. Might blindfold you, or something stupid like that. You'll end up at an unmarked building where my bosses will wine and dine you. You'll even wish the missus could have come. But this isn't for women." Now, Townsend smiled. "If you're lucky, they'll give you a tour of the facility."

"Sounds great." Matt could not think of a better remark. He wondered if Townsend was insane. Matt remembered Trip Fell and repressed a shiver. Townsend made Trip look good.

"Have a good day, Matt," Townsend tipped his head and walked away, a spring in his step.

Matt opened his car door and sat down. He looked at himself in the rearview mirror. For a moment, he could not remember whether he was angry at people like Townsend, or angry at people, like the monsters who tore his boy to pieces. In the end. It felt like lines had been crossed and Matt Donovan did not know which side he would be on in the war to come.

~0~

On Friday, Matt felt his nerves jangling. He'd called Maria to tell her had a late dinner to attend. "Honey, I'll be home late."

"Fine. I have an event to plan. Make sure you pick up a bottle of milk. Fanny might come over and I want to make sure she's being properly nourished." What Maria really meant was the next child in the family needed to be taken care of. Apparently she still did not trust Elena to keep an eye on Fan or for the kid to take of herself.

"Right." Matt hung up. Stuffing his cell into his pocket, Matt went out and into the parking lot. He felt prepared for just about any kind of weird shit that could happen. This was Mystic Falls after all.

Matt did not have long to wait before a black van sped in front of him. A couple of men in black G. I. gear hopped out of the side and threw a hood over Matt's head. "In the back, now, sir," one of them growled in Matt's ear.

Not arguing, Matt climbed inside the back of the van. A pair of hands directed him toward a hard metal seat. "Got him. Out." The order came and the van began to move.

Matt thought through a series of one-liners that he could use with these guys. It reminded him of Trip Fell and his merry band of idiots. It took Matt time and distance to see just how stupid Trip had been. He led people to their deaths; Trip's own included. Waste. That's all it amounted to. Matt wondered if that is how these men would end up as—fodder for the monster-feast.

It did not feel like a long way from Matt's office to the "unmarked building." Hell, Matt did not know if the building was unmarked or if it had a giant sign proclaiming itself "Monster Hunter's Central." The hood made it hard to know anything.

Someone guided Matt by the elbow forward. A beeping sound came from the left and then the sound of metal on metal. A cool breeze hit Matt. Then he realized it was air-conditioning. "Mr. Donovan," Townsend. "Thanks, boys. I'll take him from here."

Then the hood came off and Matt gasped. It had been hot inside the hood and now the cool air pouring out felt like a shock as it grazed his bare face. His eyes went up and around. Metal. A whole lot of metal. Some glass. The front desk was mostly glass. No assistant sat at the desk. Probably too late in the day.

"Come along, Mr. Mayor," Townsend sounded like he was coaxing a five-year-old out of F. A. O. Schwartz.

Clamping his mouth shut, Matt stopped himself from demanding the respect his position allotted him, most of the time. His eyes went to the ceiling. Cameras. Everywhere. He suspected there were probably cameras in the wall, too. They were just too small to see.

They stopped in front of what looked like a metal wall until part of the wall spread out and a pair of elevator doors stood open. "Coming?" Townsend looked amused at Matt's shock. "Neat. Ain't it?"

"Sure." Matt nodded as he stepped inside the elevator and hoped that he would be getting home to hear about Maria's new event instead of being stuck in this Sci-Fi channel nightmare.

Townsend looked at a panel to the right of them. "Tenth floor," he said.

"Going up. Mr. Townsend," a voice replied.

Matt looked around for where the voice could be coming from and saw no speaker. Weird. The elevator went up, up, and up. Matt wondered what the number ten meant to these people because in all of the buildings he'd been in, ten meant not this far. Then the doors slid open without a noise. Creepier and creepier.

Matt waited for Townsend who just smirked back at him. Finally Matt got out of the elevator. "Have a nice night…sir." Townsend winked and then the doors shut behind him.

"Mathew Donovan," a voice called from somewhere to Matt's right.

"Yes?" Matt turned to face a man who grinned back at him like they were old friends.

"Terrance Greasley," the man said, coming to stand in front of Matt. He held out a hand. "Welcome to the future."

"Future?" Matt felt confused as a young waiter came over and offered Matt a glass of champagne. The waiter wore a blindfold and Matt felt happy no one had ever made him wear a blindfold when he waited on people.

Accepting a flute, to be polite, Matt said. "Thank you," to the waiter who probably had no idea who he was talking to and then turned to Mr. Greasley. "This is the future?" Matt waved the flute at the stark white metal walls and the long wooden table with many, many chairs and for people who had yet to arrive.

"Yes. See, at Primis (Latin) Humanite (French) Semper (Latin), we have one objective. The survival of the human race: first, foremost, and always." Mr. Greasley offered Matt a wide smile. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Matt hesitated. Ducking his head, Mr. Greasley placed an arm around Matt's shoulders. "After I heard about your boy—your only child—I couldn't help but feel a kinship with you. See, I lost my own boy, not so long ago. Vampires. Nasty night-dwelling scum. They chewed through him like he was buffalo wings at a Super Bowl party. Now, I did not take that so well. My wife, God bless her, Veronica—you'll meet her soon—she suggested time off. She suggested therapy. I went out into the woods with a shotgun. Planned on ending the whole damned affair. But you know what happened, Matt, you don't mind if I call you Matt, do you?"

Matt shook his head. "I saw the light, Matt." Mr. Greasley nodded as if Matt disagreed with him" God. He spoke to me. He said that I still had work to do. I have the righteous man's work. And that work is to rid the world of all of its monsters until we are cleansed and then, Praise the good Lord above, then we will be truly saved from Satan and his ilk. Amen." Mr. Greasley clutched his flute to his chest, his eyes shut tight.

"Amen," Matt said, sipping his champagne and wondered if he would be hearing God, too, or if it were something a little more due south that Mr. Greasley heard in his ear.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Answers to guest reviews: **

**Guest: Thank you! Hope you like this one, too! **

**Emma Salvatore: Thank you and you're welcome! **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello, my lovely readers. A homecoming is coming… On with the show…**

Chapter 6: Bet You Didn't See that One Coming

_**Hope**_

Thinking about how many days and nights she went through to arrive at this one night in the woods surrounding the Salvatore School, Hope Mikaelson felt her heart pounding in her chest. She had a plan. She had a back-up plan. And, if all else failed, she had a plan C, just in case. Inhaling, she waited.

"Hello, Hope." Bonnie Bennett came striding toward Hope. Her arms were crossed over her chest, a long sweater kept her warm. Nodding, Hope hoped that she had made the right decisions tonight. "Thank you for showing."

"We have an agreement, don't we?" Hope retorted, with a twist of her lips up and to the side like her mother. "Anyway. I just need you to step into that circle." She waved a hand in the direction of the circle. "I'll be there in a minute."

Bonnie looked suspiciously at the circle and then at Hope. "Why not now?"

"What?" Hope looked at the ascendant, clutched tightly in her hand.

"Why don't you step into the circle, now?" Bonnie replied. She looked wary. Hope did not blame her. She knew Bonnie had gotten screwed over by most of the people she'd ever met. This made Hope's plan harder.

"'Kay." Hope strode over and stepped into the circle. "Can you come in, please?"

Bonnie nodded and entered the circle. "And now…"

"Now…" Hope sighed. Sleep became impossible, due to the excitement she felt surrounding her plans. "I'm sorry, Bonnie." She stepped outside of the circle.

"What?" Bonnie demanded, trying, and failing to step outside of the circle. "Hope, what have you done?" She cried, pounding on the barrier. "You can't do this spell without me. You have to use my blood!" Bonnie shouted, her eyes becoming frantic.

Hope nodded. "I did." She held up a vial of blood. "You went to the doctor, earlier in the week. It didn't take much to be able to sneak in and snatch this off the cart. Sorry." She looked to her right. "Don't allow anyone, or anything to hurt her while I'm gone."

"We're not your bloody toys to pick up and play with whenever you like, girl," Mikael snarled, appearing alongside Esther. His wrists were still shackled and his movements were a bit stiff. Hope just needed to believe that her spell would remain intact while she was in the Prison World.

If Mikael and Esther were able to act out their own desires, then a lot of people Hope cared for would be in a lot of trouble. "Just hang tight, folks. I will be back before you know that I left."

"Hope, are you insane?" Bonnie demanded, eyes on Mikael and Esther. "Do you have any idea what these two could do to your family?"

"I suggest you hurry," Esther said, watching Hope closely. "I feel your timing coming to an end."

"Please, don't hurt anyone while I'm gone," Hope begged her grandparents who just stared back at her.

"Hope! Hope, don't do this!" Bonnie begged Hope.

"I'm sorry, Bonnie. This is the only way I know how to help Jake. And Sandy. I have to go on my own." Hope said, clutching the ascendant tightly.

"Kai will kill you," Bonnie shouted, pounding on the barrier. "Please, don't do this!"

"It's okay. It'll all be okay." Hope tried to reassure Bonnie. "I'll be back. Soon."

Opening the vial with a fingernail; Hope began the spell. She had to tune out the sound of Bonnie's screaming and begging Hope to take Bonnie with her. Repeating the words, Hope felt something happening. Good. This is good. She would be leaving soon.

"Don't worry, Bonnie. I'll bring them back safe," Hope said as darkness began to descend.

And then Hope heard voices. Close by. "No," she groaned. "Not now."

The sound of running feet. Men. They were coming closer. Then a gun went off and Hope caught the bullet in her hand and let out a quiet laugh. "Are you kidding me?" she whispered.

Then another bullet came whizzing through the air. And another.

"Release me, child!" Mikael shouted at Hope.

"Not on my worst day would I be that stupid," Hope snapped.

"Release me: Now!" Mikael thundered at her.

That really helped. Now the men seemed to know exactly where they were. No. No. No. Hope felt herself beginning to panic. She could not get Bonnie out of there and perform the spell at the same time. Her plans were going up in smoke.

Another bullet whizzed by Hope's ear as she gritted her teeth. Her fight or flight instincts were taking over. She needed more time. She would not walk away from this moment. No. She could do this. She just needed to get Bonnie somewhere else, right now.

"Mikael, take Bonnie and get out of here!" Hope cried, feeling her fangs coming out. "It's time to fight."

Esther lowered the barrier and Mikael took hold of a screaming Bonnie, speeding her out of the area.

"I smell a little monster," the man's voice called into the trees. "Here, little monster. We've got a treat for you," the man called and then laughed before firing more shots her way.

"Thought this was a contain-and-capture, not a kill-and-capture op," another man said to the first.

Hope rolled her eyes and leapt into the trees. She peered down at them as they went below her. They look like the same guys who took Jos. Maybe she could capture one of them and force them to take her to Jos. Then she wouldn't be able to get to Jake. Damn it.

"Lookie, here. Got a lady. Lost in the woods, are you?" the man who just could not shut up said, laughing. He aimed his gun at Esther and fired a shot.

Esther waved a hand and his bullet became a nightingale and flew away. "Your bullets can not harm me," Esther pronounced.

"Huh?" the man shook his head. "Wonder what can?" Then he pulled out a walkie-talkie. "We got ourselves a witch. Copy that. Can you do something about that problem?"

Hope peered at the man who grinned at her grandmother in a way that sickened Hope. He thought of Esther as some kind of prize. He wanted to mount her head on his wall and it was written all over his face. _So help me, if you harm Jos, I will kill you slowly, _Hope thought as Esther let out a cry of pain. Something had hit her in the neck. She withdrew the dart and stared at it in shock.

"No," Hope ground out. She flipped off the tree limb and then dive-bombed the ass-hat with the inability to shut the hell up. "Time to go to sleep, jackass," she said before she slammed his head into the dirt.

Hope did not hit him hard enough to kill him, just hard enough to make him go to sleep for the rest of the night. Turning on his little buddies, she found herself smiling before she attacked them. Each of them went down with little to no fight. She'd been trained better than they had been and she was stronger and faster. It took all of her self-control not to end them.

"Come on, Grandma," Hope whispered as she went to gather her grandmother in her arms and sped out of the area.

Once they were in the cemetery, Hope placed a hand on Esther's forehead. "What was in the dart?" she asked Esther.

Esther shook her head. "I do not know."

"Really?" Hope felt confused. "Okay. Um…"

"You need…to get…Freya…" Esther said before she passed out. Great. Now Hope was supposed to explain to her aunt that she'd brought back Esther. Not good. And where in the hell was Mikael? Oh, yes. She forgot to order him to come back. Oh, no…

_**Jacob**_

"We're going to get out of here," Jacob reassured Sandy who looked less than impressed with his promises. It was taking longer than Jacob had expected. He'd hoped to get them out sooner, rather than later.

"You know what I am going to do when I get the hell out of here?" Kai asked, examining his fingernails.

Sandy turned to glower at him. "Go on a killing spree. Oh, wait. That's so last decade."

"Feisty. Love that," Kai said. Getting up, he crossed the room and patted Sandy on the head. "Reminds me of your mom and I feel all gooey inside." Kai shivered and Jacob rolled his eyes.

Sandy shook her head. "Okay. One last meal before we begin tonight's festivities?" she asked them, clapping her hands together.

The plan was to get out of the Prison World, tonight. Kai did not know he was coming with. And, if all went well, Jake would be spending the night in Hope Mikaelson's arms.

"Sounds like a plan. Nothing like a full stomach to put you in the mood for a jail break. Jake, put on that cute little apron and get your tushy in the kitchen," Kai said, smacking Jacob on the rear.

Jacob groaned. He would be happy to kill Kai, just for the hell of it. One more day, stuck with this guy and his inability to shut up for a single minute and Jacob would die, happily.

"Sure." Jacob strode out of the Great Room and went into the kitchen. One more dinner. Just the three of them. Yes, Jacob would happily fix something special for the three. Now, where was the rat poison?

Smirking at his own thoughts, Jacob went about fixing the red salmon dish that Sandy seemed to enjoy. It's not like anything was endangered in this world, other than the one witch who lived here.

Jacob began to hum to himself. All he needed to be happy was to picture Hope's eyes. Her lips. Her hair under his fingertips. Her body and his… Okay. Nope. Jacob needed to stay present until they were long gone. No distractions, no matter how pleasing they were.

~0~

"That smells good," Kai pronounced. He sat at the end of the dining room table like the freakin' king. His fork and knife were clutched in his hands. A napkin hung from his shirt collar and he was all smiles. Good for him. Jacob would be the one smiling when he and Jos left Kai behind.

"It does," Sandy agreed. She offered Jacob a rare smile.

Setting the dish down, Jacob held out a hand for Kai's plate. Kai handed it over and Jacob cut into the fish and handed it over. Waving his knife around, Kai placed his balled fist under his chin. "You two don't plan on ditching me, do you?" he inquired, a huge smile on his face. "Because that would just make me work ten times as hard to get out and make sure I was the last face you ever saw."

"We know," Sandy said slowly, her eyes on the tabletop. "If we didn't know, you'd remind us. Frequently." Her eyes moved to bore into Kai's.

Kai nodded. "True. I will miss these little dinners."

"We will, too," Jacob replied. "Like a baseball bat banging into one's head." He watched Kai look at his dish. "Something wrong?"

Kai shook his head. "Nope. I just want her to take a bite first." He pointed his fork at Sandy.

Sandy's brows rose. "Alright." She cut into her portion and took a bite. Without. chewing, she closed her eyes and let out a gasp of pleasure. "Jake, you're welcome to cook for me every night."

"I doubt your parents would welcome that," Jacob replied. The image of Bonnie and Jeremy breaking bread with him, night after night made Jacob chuckle. No. Not likely at all.

"Well, Jer won't have much to say about…anything, really," Kai told them.

Sandy's hand stilled and she stared at her plate.

"Why don't we talk about something more pleasant, shall we?" Jacob said, going to sit down. "Sandy, what do you plan on doing post-graduation?"

"Assuming she does," Kai added with a grin. "But, do, continue."

Sandy shrugged. "Go to college. Maybe."

"Education is a terrible thing to waste," Kai said, chewing his fish. He picked up a wine glass and took a long sip. "Or so I've been told. I had the time I could have been going to college stripped from me."

"Huh," Jacob smirked. "I thought you were more of a self-starter."

"I am," Kai said. Then his grin began to slip. "Is it warm in here?" he asked them.

"Not to me. Jake?" Sandy looked to Jacob.

Jacob shook his head. "Nope."

Kai struggled to get up. "What the hell did you two do?" he groaned, his hand on his stomach.

"Little poison in the wine," Jacob said. He picked up his own glass. "Well, not in the wine. But coating the inside of the cup. Just trace amounts that will leave a vampire feeling a little woozy." He watched Kai tumble over. "Or a lot." Getting to his feet, Jacob grabbed Sandy's hand. "Time to go!"

Speeding out of the house, Jacob stopped them in the woods outside the school and Sandy pulled the ascendant out of her pocket. She cut her hand and began to chant. Jacob looked at the sky and felt happiness blooming. Maybe they really would make it.

Then Kai appeared. His snatched the ascendant, a knife in his hand. Sandy cried out, blood burbling out of her mouth. "Sandy? No!" Jacob shouted.

Kai let out a laugh. "And you thought were going to get rid of me. Huh? Oh, kids, I've been playing this game longer than she's been alive. Good-bye." Kai looked to the sky. "What the hell?"

"Sorry, Kai. I'm in your head," Jacob said.

"What?" Kai looked around the dining room.

"There's about…thirty seconds left. I figure Sandy's already gone." Jacob said, brandishing a knife. "But, just in case. I decided to stay behind and make sure you don't go anywhere."

Kai let out a laugh. "Jake. Jake. Jake. When you get home, there will be nothing left to go home to."

"What the hell are you going on about, you deranged lunatic?" Jacob demanded.

Kai laughed. "Sandy's a walking-talking time bomb. I put the loveliest idea in her head. Every. Single. Night. Some call it brainwashing. I just call it my special recipe for misery. Speaking of which… time to go."

Jacob blinked and found that Kai had disappeared. Turning around, Jacob sped out of the door and into the woods. He knew he was older, faster and stronger than Kai. Kai could not beat him in a fight.

Then again, Kai never played fair. Sandy let out a scream when Kai grabbed her by the waist. He held out one hand and Jacob felt his legs light up. Fire ate away at his boots and he groaned in pain as he said a word and the fire abated. But Kai and Sandy were gone.

The plan had failed. Kai Parker was headed home. And Jacob may never get home to Hope. He buried his head in his hand and let out a wail.

_**Damon**_

"Honey, I'm home!" Damon called. He stood in the doorway of his quiet little house. For a moment, Damon thought that everyone had left and then a movement to his left made him jump back and run into the door.

"Sorry, Mr. Salvatore," Artemis Gerard cried with a laugh. "I didn't know you were home."

Damon's eyebrows rose as he saw the end of his son's Batman t-shirt. No. No. No. Why? Damon flinched after an image of Temis' mom flitted through his mind. Nope. Damon would not think about having had sex with his son's girlfriend. He was a vampire then. He was a different man now.

"Dad?" Sam came speeding down the stairs. Yes. And now his only boy was a vamp. Great. No grandkids coming from that line of the family. "Temis?"

"I was thirsty and then I thought I heard a noise outside." Temis rolled her eyes toward the ceiling.

"Thirsty?" Damon let his mind turn that around. He noted the red dot at the edge of Temis' mouth. Her tongue flicked out and she looked guilty.

"Deer," Temis tried.

"Really?" Damon snapped. "You two really need to learn to be careful," Damon muttered. "And I thought you didn't trigger you're whole…vampire-thing." Damon waved a hand at Temis, carrying groceries toward the kitchen. He could not deal with this kind of drama tonight. Not with Fan…

"I haven't," Temis followed Damon into the kitchen. "But…when I do…can you teach me how to be a vamp?" She offered Damon wide brown eyes. "I think you would be a good mentor. Look at how well Sammy turned out." She flashed a wide smile at Sam.

Sam grinned back. Damon could only stare at the two, his mouth hanging half open. "No… Are you kidding me? I was a terrible person as a vamp. And Sam was a human when I raised him."

Temis frowned. "Well. I can't go to Uncle Nik. Mum would hate that… Or Aunt Care. Uncle Kol…" She looked thoughtful.

"Fine. When you officially turn; I will help you. Just remember, I am human now and can break. Easily." Damon waved a finger at the two supes in his kitchen. "I'm going to put these things up and then go visit Stef."

"Stefan?" Termis looked to Sam. "He's back?"

Sam shook his head and then looked to his father. "He's not, is he?"

"No. Just stopping by a place close by," Damon said. "You two be more careful showing off your powers."

"Okay." Sam nodded toward the doorway and they slouched off like normal teens.

Groaning, Damon put the groceries in the fridge and cabinets. His thoughts were elsewhere. He needed to talk to Fanny. He just did not know what to say. So it felt better to go talk to Stef who could no longer tell Damon how much he was screwing up.

~0~

Leaning against a wall of the family crypt, Damon chuckled. "So, brother, I hope you're not thinking: Wow! Damon's screwing up. Shocker!" He rolled his eyes. "I don't know what to do here. Fan's having a baby. Elena's working all the time. Sam's a vamp. His girlfriend is bat-shit. And I like her. How messed up is that? A Mikaelson and I don't even mind the future where she's calling me 'Dad.' She's loyal. She'll kill anyone who tries to mess with Sam. And Fan. She's way too smart. I don't know how to keep up with her. I miss you, Stef."

Rolling his eyes, Damon shook his head. "There's no chance you could, I don't know, come on back and help me fix this mess? Huh? Especially with these guys popping up and snatching the supes off the freakin' streets. I could really use you now, brother."

Waiting for a response, Damon sat down on the stone floor and stared at the ceiling. "Really? I can't even get a guest appearance here? Can't you tell I'm really struggling here?" He waited little longer. "Okay. Well, thanks for not listening. I guess I'll look for help elsewhere. Maybe under a huge rock."

Damon staggered out of the crypt, one hand wrapped around a bottle of bourbon. He shouldn't drink. Nowadays he had to worry about that stupid, pesky liver. "It's okay, right, buddy?" Damon patted his liver and then wondered if he patted the right side. "Whatever," he muttered.

Remembering that he was all alone; Damon held out his arms. "Hey, world! I ask for help and you say 'Screw you, Damon Salvatore!' Well, screw you, too."

"Does that mean this is a screw you three moment?" a familiar hell-born voice called to Damon.

Eyes widening, Damon stumbled in a circle until he came face-to-face with a devil who should still be in hell. Or a prison world. "Hello, Damon." Kai wiggled his fingers in greeting. "Missed me, old friend."

"Shit," Damon groaned.

Before Damon could do anything else, Kai was on top of him and Damon waited for Kai to bite him.

"Wait. Nope! Sorry. You know when you've been in another world so long that you begin to forget what time you're in. And then you remember: You're the Cure. Not the band." Kai let out a laugh and pushed himself to his feet. "Sorry. Bad joke. I'll work on it. Let's see." Holding out a hand, Kai nodded at it. "Come on, I won't bite. Literally. Oh, I crack myself up. Seriously, Damon. Take my damned hand before I rip your head off."

Damon sat up and glared at Kai. "You seen my nephew lately, freak. Looks a bit like Stef. Got a Brit accent. Pissy girlfriend. Any of this ringing a bell for you?"

Kai shook his head. "Nope." He smirked down at Damon. "Oh, wait. Yes. I do remember him." Leaning down, Kai grinned as he rocked on his heels. "I remember when my hand sliced his head off. You remember doing that to me, don't ya?" Kai watched Damon and Damon felt his stomach roll.

"You're a lying son of a bitch!" Damon thundered, launching himself at Kai.

Kai laughed and darted away. "Man, you're getting old, Damon. And you're drunk. What must Elena think? Should I fetch her and we can have a chat like the old days? Or, no, Bonnie? Yes. I can't wait to see Bon Bon. She's going to be so shocked to see me." Clapping his hands together, Kai shook his head. "I can't wait to see the look on her face. Priceless."

A tiny red bead formed on Kai's gloating face. "What?" he asked, looking down at Damon.

Damon shook his head. "Nothing."

Kai stilled. Then he darted to the left when a bullet whizzed past his head. "Looks like we have company."

"Yeah. Not sorry I didn't warn you. There's a new group of crazy hunters on the loose," Damon said. "Maybe you'd like to meet them. Oh, yo-ho. Over here, boys!" Damon called out.

Kai glared at Damon. "We'll be seeing each other again."

"I'm sure." Damon snapped, shaking his head at Kai as the siphoner took off for parts unknown.

Sighing, Damon fell on his back and contemplated the sky. "Are you alright, sir?" one of the crazy hunters asked, holding out a hand. "Did it bite you?"

"Nope. Went that way." Damon waved a hand in Kai's direction.

"Go home, man. You've had enough of this," another hunter told Damon, collecting his bottle. "And we don't feel like cleaning up your carcass later."

"Oh, how sweet," Damon retorted, trudging away. As much distance that he placed between himself and the Ass-Hats Unlimited, the happier Damon would be.

Groaning, Damon caught sight of a foot. The foot twitched behind a tree. Blinking, Damon wished Lena were there. She would know what to do. On the other hand, it could be trap. How many times had Damon used the whole: "I'm hurt. Help me" ruse. Hell, no. He had kids to get home to.

Then a moan came out of the direction. "Shit," Damon groaned.

Forcing his body to move around the tree; Damon froze. His mouth worked open and shut. "Sandy?"

"Help?" Sandy moaned.

"Sandra!" Damon hurried to kneel down and tug the girl into his arms. He pushed her dark locks behind her ear. "Hey there, kid. Oh." Pressing his cheek to Sandy's Damon would kill anyone who brought up the fact that he was crying.

"Okay. Okay. We're going to go home." Damon forced himself to stand with Sandy in his arms. He walked to his car and settled her into the back. Inhaling deeply, Damon took a seat behind the wheel. He looked in the rearview mirror, just to make sure this was real before he pulled out his cell phone. "Lena, you need to come and give me a ride home," he said.

Elena paused. "Have you been drinking?"

"Yes. And I need a ride," Damon said.

"Call a cab. I have a shift," Elena retorted.

"Don't hang up." Damon inhaled. "Just. Just wait." Holding the phone closer to Sandy, Damon said. "Honey, speak up for Elena."

"Aunt Elena?" Sandy choked out.

"Sandy?" Elena cried out. "Damon?"

Damon pressed the phone to his ear and he no longer felt weird about crying. "Just come and get us. Please. She's hurt. And she needs a doc. That means you."

"Okay. Okay. I'm coming as soon as I can." Elena hung up and Damon slumped in the driver's seat, turning and just watching the girl in the backseat. She wasn't going anywhere so long as he could help it. Sandy came home. Finally. Now, how would Damon tell Hope that they'd lost Jake? At the thought, Damon felt like breaking something. It felt like losing Stef all over again. At least they got Sandy back. That was something to thank whatever there was out there for. That was a win.

"Jos?" Sandy muttered. Or not. Yeah. Who was going to tell Sandy about Jos? Not Damon. He'd had his fill of heart-break for the whole year.

**We will return on January 9, 2020! Have a happy holiday! **

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Answers to guest reviews: **

**Guest: Thank you! I hope you have a happy holiday! **

**-J**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, my lovely readers. Hope has more problems than she can keep track of now. On with the show…**

Chapter 7: Be Careful of What Hope Wished For

_**Klaus**_

Furious. Klaus Mikaelson felt furious as he paced outside of his foyer. His eyes flicked over his phone's screen. Hope had not arrived home, yet. However, when his darling daughter did return home she would not be seeing the light of day for some time. The only person stopping Klaus from storming out the front door stood in front of said front door.

"Klaus, she thought she was helping," Caroline reasoned. She did not look well. Jos' confinement left Caroline's bottomless optimism spiraling toward the core of the planet.

"Caroline, I am quite aware of what Hope thought she was doing," Klaus seethed out. "However, she did not think twice about possibly being taken—" Klaus cut himself off, seeing Caroline's face pale. "She should have made us aware of her plans."

"Like you would?" Hayley snapped. She sat on the end of the staircase, her knees jangling as she stared at the door.

Elijah stood over Hayley, his back to the wall behind him, his eyes on the door as well. "I'm sure Hope is feeling contrite as is."

"Sure she does." Li came down the stairs and stood behind Hayley. Her eyes were dull. "Because Hope always feels bad about the shit she pulls. Just like Jos, right?" She shook her head. "This family is doomed. WE might as well turn ourselves over now. At least we'll be together when it ends."

Klaus found no words coming to mind. Li seemed to be taking Jos' absence harder than anyone else. Yes, twins. Their bond. "Li. This is not over. We will bring your sister home."

"Sisters?" Li retorted with a bitter smile. Turning, she headed back upstairs.

When a key moved inside the door, Caroline whirled on her heel and jerked the door open. She took hold of Hope's hoodie and jerked the girl inside, slamming the door shut with her free hand. "Do you know what you've done, young lady?" Caroline demanded, still holding onto Hope's shirt. "Do you?"

Hope's mouth dropped open and looked to her parents for help while Caroline barely restrained her rage. Klaus simply stood to the side while Hayley dug her fingers into the staircase. "Mom? Dad?" Hope cried.

"You've endangered us all!" Caroline shouted. "You brought back Mikael freakin' Mikaelson! Do you know what that is like for your dad? And his mom? Are you kidding me?"

"Caroline," Elijah began when Klaus held up a hand. Elijah leaned back against the wall.

"Hope. I know you miss Jacob. But you have let lose a monster. And now it is our job to hunt him down, before he burns our home down while we sleep." Klaus said, coming to stand beside Caroline. "I do hope you understand the error of your ways."

"Is Bonnie okay?" Hope asked them, shoving her hands in her pockets and looking contrite.

Caroline nodded. "She's with Jer. But she's heart-broken thanks to you giving her false hope and making her think that Sandy would be home, in her bed, tonight. Maybe one day you'll be a mom and know how much this hurts." Pausing, Caroline continued to shake her head.

Pulling out her phone, Caroline glanced at the screen. "Oh, my God!"

"What is it?" Klaus demanded, his eyes going to the text message. Elena Gilbert's name was on the screen. The message was cryptic. _S. Home, _was all it said. All it needed to say, really.

Hayley's phone went off, too. She jerked it out and looked at the screen. Elijah peered down at it, too. "My…" Elijah uttered.

"What?" Hope demanded. "What is it?"

"Someone else is probably dead," Li said, standing at the top of the stairs.

"Sandy's home," Caroline said, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. She let out a laugh and threw her arms around Klaus' neck. "She's home."

Klaus hugged Caroline and heard Li making her way back downstairs. His eyes moved to Hope. Hope's eyes widened and her mouth opened. "Sandy?" She shook her head. "Oh, no…no, no, no… Where? I mean… Is Jake… I have to go…" She turned and ripped the door open.

"Hope!" Klaus thundered. He jerked away from Caroline and sped out of the door. Hope was by the fence when he caught her by the waist. "You can't. You mustn't!"

"Daddy! I have to go! Jake's home!" Hope struggled as Klaus pinned her arms to her side. "Please! Please, dad! I need to go to him!"

"Hope," Klaus felt himself struggling with his teenage daughter. She was so strong. "Fine. We will go together." He loosened his grip and Hope tried to speed off. Grabbing her arm, Klaus held on tight. "Like a normal family. In the car." He tugged her back to her car.

Caroline stood in the doorway. "Don't be too late," she called to him.

Klaus nodded. He hated this. If Caroline were out there, no one would stop him from reaching her. He understood his daughter's anxiety. This is the only reason that he got in the passenger side of the car and allowed Hope to drive them toward the high school.

~0~

Several hours later, Klaus watched Hope look around the ground of the old Salvatore Boarding School. They'd covered the entire town. And even dropped by the Gilberts' homestead. The only people there were Samuel and Artemis. By the looks of them, Klaus knew they knew little of the night's events and Hope did not bother to fill them in.

"What do you mean Jake might be back?" Sam had called to them. Klaus had shrugged in response and returned to his daughter's side.

Now, Hope sunk to her knees in the dirt of the woods. "Jake?" she called, tears running down her cheeks. "Dad, where is he?" she asked, turning her head to give Klaus a forlorn look.

"I don't know, love." Klaus moved to place a hand on Hope's shoulder. "Now, you had something to show me." He coaxed his daughter to her feet and she led him toward the Salvatore family crypt.

"Mother," Klaus called.

Esther let out a moan. Walking closer to the light from the moon being shed inside the stone artifice; Klaus stood over his mother. She looked rather pale. "You've been poisoned then?" he inquired, feeling little. She'd tried to kill Hope. It felt absurd to show his mother compassion now.

"Yes, Niklaus," Esther said, holding out a trembling hand. "Have you contacted Freya?"

Hope looked guilty. "Sorry. I thought…"

Esther fell to the stone beneath her. "I suppose I could wish for you to bring me to your home?"

"Don't be absurd," Klaus snapped.

"Dad," Hope said, eyeing him.

Klaus' eyes rounded. "Perhaps you'd like me to invite Mikael to stay as well." Shaking his head, Klaus leaned over and gathered his mother into his arms. He knew he would regret this in the morning.

~0~

"Good morning," Rebekah growled out with a big, fake smile. "Where is the bitch-witch who created us?" she greeted Klaus, stepping past him and into the house, Marcel, Theo, and Temis right behind her.

"Upstairs. Resting," Caroline said as she came downstairs looking two percent happier than she did the previous day. "Do not go up there if you plan on starting World War Three, Bekah."

"If she were your mother, you'd start worse," Rebekah snapped, hand on her hip.

"Aunt Bekah," Hope called, coming downstairs. "Aunt Freya is headed our way."

"Tell me that Vincent will be staying at home with the little one," Rebekah replied, a frown on her face.

"So she says," Hope said, clutching the banister. "Hey," she called to Temis, offering a little wave. "Could you come up and help me with something?"

"No magic!" Rebekah ordered the girls.

"Not magic. Fashion emergency," Hope said with a quick smile. "There's going to be a party, tonight, to welcome Sandy back home and I want to look my best."

"Why?" Theo said, shocking everyone else. "Since when are you and Sand BFFs?" Theo was usually such a calm, polite young man that his little outburst made everyone stare at him like he'd pulled out a Bible and begun to perform an exorcism.

"Excuse me?" Hope's brows drew together. "Sandy is Jos'… She's… She cares about Jos. And I care about people who care about my sister. By the way, Li is in her room. If you want to stop by, and, I don't know, say 'Hello.'" Hope ended her comment with a little smirk before she darted up the stairs, Temis hot on her heels.

"This is going well so far," Marcel said, looking to Klaus.

"Quite," Klaus retorted. He nodded toward the kitchen and Marcel patted Rebekah's back before he followed Klaus. "We have a slight problem."

"Other than the guys with guns who keep snatching people off the streets?" Marcel quipped, sitting down on a stool.

Klaus chuckled and placed his hands on the breakfast bar counter. "No. Our problem is more of the familial sort. Esther is the not the only one back. Mikael has returned as well."

"Hope?" Marcel looked shocked. "Why would she do something so reckless?" He paused and looked at Klaus. "Never mind."

Klaus narrowed his eyes at his son. "Hope thought he might be of value. A hunter who might aid her if Kai Parker were to return to this realm. And it if the information I've been given is correct, he is."

"No Jake?" Marcel added. Klaus shook his head. He did not know whether to celebrate the prolonged absence of his daughter's suitor or to fear it harming her sanity. All he truly wanted was for Hope to be happy. Right now, that did not seem to be in the cards.

"Is she going to keep trying to bring him back?" Marcel inquired. Nodding, Klaus figured that: Yes, Hope would continue in her efforts. This meant she might expose herself to the forces who sought to end their family as if they did not already have billions of enemies, world-wide.

"Right. And we need to find Mikael and make sure he doesn't do anything crazy. Then we need to find a way to stop Hope from becoming a threat to herself. Sound right?" Marcel inquired. "But none of the daggered-and-left-in-a-box, for a century, or five shit." Marcel folded his arms over his chest and gave Klaus a long look.

Nodding, Klaus smirked. "I wouldn't think of it." Mainly he would not try that because he did not believe it would work. They're once tried to dagger Klaus and it did not work out. Which meant that it would probably not work with Hope.

"In the meantime," Klaus continued. "We have my mother to contend with." His eyes went to the ceiling and he could think of a number of ways he would like to deal with her.

~0~

A knock on the door alerted Klaus to their visitor's arrival. He walked to the front door and opened it. "Freya. How good of you to come."

"Klaus." Freya looked less than pleased to be there. "Please tell me Hope had a good reason to summon that woman."

"A girl in love," Klaus said, clasping his hands together. "Mother was just one plan of many. It seems that Hope's little boyfriend-of-the-moment is stuck inside a Prison World and she believed that Original Witch could offer her assistance in freeing him."

Freya sighed. "Where is Mother?" Saying mother seemed to pain Freya.

Klaus pointed upstairs. Freya turned and they headed in that direction. She stopped just inside the doorway of the guest room they had Esther tucked away in.

Esther offered her eldest child a wan smile. "Freya, you came."

"Why. I have no idea," Freya said, coming to stand beside their mother. She set a bag down and looked Esther over. "I will need the room," she told them.

Klaus grinned at Esther before he closed the door. He walked back downstairs to find Caroline, Rebekah, Marcel, Elijah and Hayley gathered in the living room. "Well then, our doctor is working her magic." He chuckled. "If all goes well the patient shall be out of her hair soon enough."

"Klaus," Caroline groaned, rubbing her temples.

"What?" Klaus came to sit beside his fiancée. "You do not know my mother as I do, love. Otherwise you would understand."

"I know she almost got me killed. At least once," Caroline snapped, folding her arms over her chest. "I just want her to not die under my roof."

"We can always take her down the street," Elijah remarked. Hayley let out a quiet laugh.

When the sound of Freya's footsteps came down the stairs, Klaus looked up. Freya looked deeply unhappy. "This is worse than I suspect."

"What is it?" Elijah asked.

"I've never seen the kind of poison they used on Mother. But it seems to be something developed for our kind: witches. It is…unnatural. A corruption of healing ingredients to becoming a deadly compound. I do not know if I can create an antidote." Freya's brows furrowed.

"They want to kill witches?" Hayley said.

Freya nodded. "They do not want us to be able to heal ourselves, or others. This is about control. I suspect—if there is an antidote—they have it. Or at the very least they have a recipe for the poison they created. If I had it, I might be able to reverse engineer it."

"Which means someone needs to go in and get it," Marcel finished, looking at Klaus. And now Klaus knew exactly what he would do with Mikael once they found him.

_**Theo**_

Lying on Li's bed, Theo watched his girlfriend stare into her closet. "Babe, you okay?" he asked, sitting up.

Li just shook her head. "No."

Pushing off the side of the bed, Theo walked across the room and placed his hands on her arms, rubbing gently before speaking, "You can talk to me."

Li shook her head and Theo felt her tremble beneath his touch. "I don't want to talk right now, Theo. I need to find something to wear to the party."

"Cool." Theo glanced in the closet. "How about this?" He moved around Li and reached a long arm into her closet. Pulling out a white dress with a high collar and floral decoration that Artemis would be smitten with, he held it up. "You like?"

Glancing at the dress, Li shook her head. "No. Let me check in Jos' closet." She left the room and Theo trudged after her.

Entering her sister's room, Li opened the closet and her eyes flicked over the selection. "Okay." She removed a black sweater dress that show off her legs. "Jos never wore it. I hope she doesn't mind if I borrow it. No. She might want to when she comes home." With a quick shake of her head, Li shoved the dress back in the closet. She continued to remove and mutter to herself reasons why she couldn't wear the clothing.

Finally, Li placed her hands in her hair. "I can't," she cried. "I can't go to the stupid party and be happy that Sandy is home and Jos isn't. I can't."

"Li…" Theo began when a knock alerted them to someone in the doorway. Turning around, Theo's brows rose when he saw his father watching them. "Dad?"

"Theo. A word," Marcel said.

"Okay." Theo nodded. He moved to place his arms around Li's waist and whispered into her hair. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Uh-huh," Li muttered, shifting away from him to return to her search for something to wear.

Theo sighed and walked out of the bedroom to join his dad, down the hall from Li. Marcel placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Theo, I need you to do a favor for me."

Theo nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

"Klaus and I are going out with your mom and Aunt Freya, Caroline, Elijah, Hayley. We've got to check into something. You mind keeping an eye on things here? Call us if anything, or anyone suspicious happens to show up." Marcel's eyes bore into his son's.

Gulping, Theo nodded. He knew who his dad felt afraid of showing up while adults were gone. "I won't disappoint you."

"I know you won't." Marcel chuckled. "Come here." He hugged Theo tight. "And Elizabeth's worried about her twin. She'll come around. Just let her deal in her own way."

"I will." Theo hoped his dad was right and that Li was not about to spiral. Artemis had had enough episodes for Theo to know what that could look like and he did not want that for Li. But he would be there, right by her side if she did.

"Right. Enjoy the party. Not too much." Marcel stepped away from his son, turned on his heel and strode away.

Theo wished his dad would stay. However, Theo was eighteen now. He was an adult, legally anyway. He could handle things here. Probably. Hopefully.

~0~

"Hi!" Hope cried as Sandy came in the door. She waved her hands for Sandy to enter an embrace that made Theo shiver. Sandy looked more than a little uncomfortable hugging Hope. "Can we talk?" Hope asked, attempting to tug Sandy away from the waiting guests.

"Oh, no!" Theo called, coming over and taking hold of Sandy's arm. "Sandy just got home. She's probably tired and needs to take a seat and have a drink. Right, Sand?" Theo sent Hope a look.

Hope gritted her teeth and smiled at the same time. A Mikaelson trait. Theo just sent his cousin a meaningful look. Li came downstairs in Jos' black boots and a green dress. She plucked at the end of the sleeves with a nervousness that was unnatural to her. "Sandy, hi," Li said quietly.

"Li, you look pretty," Hope cried, going to hug her sister.

Li cringed and moved away from Hope. "I need a drink."

"Drinks are coming now!" Artemis called, entering the room with a tray. "Hope you like them. I invented them myself."

Hope took a drink and then spit the liquid back into the cup. "Temis? What the hell is that?" she demanded, coughing.

"Vodka and tonic," Temis said frowning at the drinks.

"Then why are they steaming?" Theo inquired, staring into the cups.

"That ice they put inside Halloween drinks. I thought it would be unusual," Temis replied with a pout. "You don't like it, Cousin?" she asked Hope.

Hope shook her head. "I detect blueberry and something else…"

Temis nodded. "Yes. I crushed up blueberries and then added some mushroom, for flavor." She offered them a winning smile.

"Mushroom?" Hope's brows went up. "Not like special mushrooms?"

Temis puckered her lips and looked to Theo. "Oh, shit!" Theo groaned and Hope ran in front of him. They made into the kitchen and Hope exhaled, falling against the counter with a smile. "It's not the mushrooms."

Theo also felt happy. The last thing any of them needed right now was an unwanted LSD trip. They had enough problems. Leaving the house and acting like fools really did not need to head that list.

"I don't know what you find so gross about the drinks," Temis said, taking a sip and then her nose wrinkled. "Yes. It might be a toad saliva."

"Toad saliva?" Li questioned Temis before sitting her drink down.

The doorbell rang and Hope went to answer. "Freddy! Everyone, Freddy's here and he brought beer!"

"Thank God!" Li groaned, going to the door. "Give me," she demanded, making grabby hands at Freddy until he handed over a beer. Li tapped the can before opening it and took a healthy gulp. "Ah. That takes away the aftertaste of toad."

"What did I miss?" Fred asked them, entering the house and moving to kick the door closed when a pale hand caught the edge of the door. "Wow!" Fred turned and let out a hoot. "Sammy! And Fanny! Sand Girl! Your other girlfriend has arrived!"

Sandy stood up as Theo looked over to see the girl smooth her skirt before coming to join the rest of the group. "Fan?" Then her eyes rounded. "Was there something in the water this summer?" she asked, a tentative smile on her face.

Fanny burst into tears and ran to her friend, burying her face in Sandy's shoulder. "I missed you, so much! I was so alone! And you're back!"

Li let out a burp before she rolled her eyes. "Guess I wasn't really much company." She grumbled, taking another, longer sip of the beer. She made her way over to a couch and sat down, her body collapsing into the piece of furniture. She narrowed her eyes at the two best friends. "Looks like I'm the odd woman out, again. Cheers to that."

"Li, you've got me. Always," Theo said. He took a seat next to Li who offered an unimpressed look. It carved a hole in his chest and he could have sworn he saw his heart make a get-away.

"It's not a party without some music!" Fred turned on the stereo and flipped the dial until Theo heard blood pulsing in his ears. "Dance with me, Miss Mikaelson?" Fred inquired over the music. He held out a hand and bowed to Hope.

Hope grinned and took his hand before they began to move in a way that made Theo blush. Wolves. You could not trust them to not get dirty on the dance floor. Shaking his head, Theo pushed himself to his feet and he turned the dial back down.

"Hey, man! You're killing the mood in here!" Fred complained, one hand on Hope's hip as Hope worked her hips against her friend's. "Man, you died and made him the Party Boss! Boooo!"

Theo's eyes went the empty couch. Wonderful. Li left already.

Looking around the room, Theo caught sight of Fanny and Sandy heading upstairs while Sam and Temis made out on the couch like it was the end of the world. He would give anything if they could turn back the clock and Li and Theo could be making out like a couple of horny teens in a dark corner, not two kids who wondered if their friends and family would make it home at night, or ever.

With a groan, Theo decided to go check on Li. He hoped that Hope would remain busy driving Fred nuts instead of going to hassle Sandy about Jake. Just one fairly normal night. That is all Theo asked for.

Walking to Li's bedroom, Theo knocked on the closed door. No one replied so he pushed the door open and stepped inside. The lights were off, so Theo could not see in front of his own face. "Li, you in here?" Li did not reply and Theo made his way over to the bed. "Li?"

"Theo?" Li said. And then her hands were under his shirt. She pushed it up and off before wrapping her arms around his shoulders, tugging him downward. "Theo. I need you."

"Li…" Theo felt his body responding to her sudden insistence but his brain told him to put a stop to this. "Baby. I don't think this is a good idea."

"Good idea?" Li let out a harsh laugh. "Good ideas are not on the menu." She tugged him down before rolling on top. He felt her lips crushing his and her fingers nimbly undoing his belt.

"Li, I said: No!" Theo shoved Li away from him and sat up. He flicked the lamp on and turned to see Li's face. Her cheeks were tear-streaked and she let out a whimper, jerking her bra strap back upward.

Sniffling, Li jerked her knees to her chest, trying to cover her underwear-clad body like she was ashamed of his seeing her like this. "Li?" Theo reached out a hand and Li held her own out to stop him.

"Don't. Just don't touch me! Go!" Li waved a hand and Theo found himself flying to the door. He fell in the hallway, his pants around his ankles and his dignity not far behind and his girlfriend used her powers to slam the door in his face.

"What in the hell did you do to my sister?" Hope demanded, arriving in front of Theo in seconds. Her eyes were narrowed and her fingertips shot sparks.

"She wanted to… I said: No. And she freaked out, Hope." Theo tried to explain, pushing himself to his feet and pulling his pants back up.

"Oh really? And that's why your pants are down?" Hope scoffed. She went to pound on Li's door. "Li? Li! Open the door and tell me what happened! Do I need to kill Theo?"

"You're not killing Theo!" Temis snapped, appearing in the hallway.

Sam and Fred were right behind Temis.

It looked like there might be a battle of Mikaelson versus Mikaelson when Fanny came out of Hope's room and strode over to the door. "Sandy?"

Sandy came over to join them. "We should talk about Jake."

"After we find out what happened here," Hope said, although she seemed to be diverted at the name: Jacob Salvatore. She placed her hand on the doorknob and it opened. Theo peered around Hope but saw nothing.

"She's gone," Hope said, speeding to the empty window. She sent a dark look Theo's way. "You had better hope that my other sister is not taken tonight or you might want to find a new family to adopt you!"

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Answers to guest reviews: **

**Emma Salvatore: Thank you for reviewing! I hope you had a great Christmas/New Year. Also happy that you enjoyed "Father Christmas." **

**Guest: Thank you for reviewing! I hope this chap was worth the wait! **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, my lovely readers. We're finally going to see what Kol, Davina and James are up to. On with the show…**

Chapter 8: On the Run: Part Fifty-Five and Counting

_**Kol**_

**Day One: **

"Blasted hell," Kol Mikaelson muttered. He caught sight of the men who were hauling Josette Saltzman away from her new home. His first instinct drove him to action. "Davina," he called out. Davina's eyes burned with fury but the instant they met Kol's fear inspired his wife. "James!" Kol commanded his son.

James' feet were headed toward the front door when his father flashed in front of him. "I am sorry," Kol said. His hands on his son's shoulder before James could utter a response, Kol's hands were around his only child's neck. The sound of James' neck breaking made Kol's heart break, too.

Hefting his son's prone form over his shoulder, Kol marched toward the back of the house. He could hear Caroline wailing. Klaus was trying to calm his would-be-wife. Davina appeared by Kol's side.

"Where do you think you're going, brother?" Rebekah demanded, her body between Kol and his escape route. "You're planning on running, aren't you?" his little sister snarled. "Mikaelsons do not run!" she reminded him.

"This one does. He runs with his family. Now, get the bloody hell out of the way." Kol's eyes burned into Rebekah. "If you weren't a fool, you'd book a ticket and get Theo and Artemis the hell out of this dreary little backwater hole in the earth before they take one of yours."

"What's going on?" Freya cried.

Kol turned to find he had a sister to his front and a sister to his back. Soon his son would awaken and he'd have that to deal with, too. "Freya, this does not concern you. Please, go and collect Mira before those psychos take the youngest of us. Nothing like a baby guinea pig to play with."

Cheeks burning, Freya frowned deeply. "Kol, you are planning on walking out that door, are you?" she demanded.

"Mommy?" Mira came toward them, her arms wrapped around her middle. "The bad men took Josie," she cried, holding out her arms to be picked up. "I know, Mira. Why don't you find, Daddy? Mommy needs to talk to her brother."

"You should go," Kol retorted.

Vincent came to join them. "Freya, I don't mean to rain on an already sodden parade here but I do not like the looks of those Storm Troopers who just busted up this happy reunion. Time for us to gather Mira and get out of here." He clapped his hands and smiled at his daughter. Freya passed the child over to Vincent.

"Kol, please…" Freya began when Davina let out a hiss of air.

"We're not staying," Davina said. Her look defied anyone to argue. "I hope we'll find each other again." She strode to the back door and opened it like a good little human would.

Leaving the house, Kol searched the area for a car. He did not care whose car it was. He'd take anything with gas in the tank. He just wanted to put the Welcome to Mystic Falls sign in the rearview mirror.

The back door opened and Elijah came outside. "Not you, too, Elijah," Kol groaned.

Elijah pulled out a set of keys and tossed them to Kol. "Go. Do not look back." He nodded at Davina. "Good luck, brother."

"Thank you," Kol said, hurrying to the car in the garage. He set James across the back seat and then settled himself in behind the wheel. "Are you ready, darling?" he asked Davina.

"I'll go anywhere with you," Davina replied, smiling at him. Kol took her hand and pressed her knuckles to his lips before starting the car and driving the hell away from the non-wedding. They might be back—one day—far from now.

**Day Three: **

Davina came out of the motel bathroom. She was toweling her hair dry. Standing straight, she flipped her hair over her head. "What do you think?" she asked Kol, hands on her hips.

"I'll say that brunette, blonde, I could care less. You're still the sexiest woman alive," Kol crossed the room and took his little wife in his arms, kissing her passionately.

Davina moaned against Kol's lips and slid her hand under his shirt. "I think you find being on the run a turn-on."

Kol turned Davina around, his lips trailing down her neck as he tugged her towel lose. "I think I find everything about you to be a turn-on, love." He picked her up and carried her to the bed. Davina cried out as Kol's lips and hands moved over her. She might be growing older but Kol's passion for her never diminished. If anything, he wanted her more over the years.

~0~

In the early twilight, Kol ran his fingers through Davina's new sunshiny blonde locks and kissed her forehead. He got up and dressed. Crossing the room, he opened the door and found James sitting on his bed. "You could try to keep it down in there, since I can't leave the room," James snapped, his eyes on the opposite wall.

"We're doing this for your protection," Kol retorted. He sat on the end of the bed. "I know you like the little siphon, but she's gone now. You must look to your own future."

James let out a bitter laugh. "And if it were Mum? Then what, Father? Would you say: Let's keep going? Turn our bloody backs on her? Yes?" Shaking his head, James ran a hand through his dark locks.

Kol tried to refocus the conversation. "We need to do something about your hair, mate. Davina's got some more Clairol lying about. Want me to help?" Kol could simply compel him to behave himself. Not that Davina would approve. She called it the lazy parenting method.

"He'll never learn if you don't give him a chance to act on his own free will, Kol." Davina once chided him because James threw a baseball threw a neighbor's window and said a friend's dog did it. They'd been trying to fit in and pretend to be normal, for once. Kol had compelled young James to walk to the neighbor's door and to apologize. When Davina found out, she did not approve and so came the new rule about no compulsion on their human child. Or even if he turned.

"Dad?" James called.

Kol snapped out of his reverie. "Yes?"

"Can I at least use the phone? Call and see if anyone knows what happened to Jos?" James turned his large brown eyes on his father. These same eyes were used when James wanted a puppy as a five-year-old. And if the puppy had not run out and into the road two years later, Kol might have allowed James to adopt a whole slew of animals as his son seemed apt to try to do.

Shaking his head, Kol felt guilty. "No. I'm sorry. We still do not know if these fools are tapping our phones. They might be part of the government. Or are controlling the government..." Kol trailed off. His words were failing him.

James' anger began to boil over. Getting to his feet, he paced the room. "I need to know that someone is working to keep Jos safe."

"She has a family, James," Kol said. Getting to his own feet, he placed his hands on his hips. "Including your uncle, Nik. Speaking of, if you need someone to blame for this whole mess; lay it at his feet. None of this would have happened if not for his bloody ego and his laying his soul bare to that bloody human."

"Cami was not a bloody human, Kol. She was my friend," Davina stated, calmly. She stood in the adjacent doorway, her arms folded over her chest. "I think it's check-out time."

James looked to his mother before he began to pack his luggage. Kol's shoulder slumped. This would not be an easy time in their family's history.

_Davina_

**Day 9:**

Davina sat behind the wheel of the rental car. She'd stood, with a wide smile on her face as she presented the I. D. with the name Marilyn Murphy on it to the barely-out-of-his-teens kid who offered the keys to the Mercedes. She'd been hoping for a Toyota. Some car people were less likely to note on the road.

Kol seemed more pleased to be inside a luxury car. They'd had to forego staying at the five—let alone a three-star—hotel. Complaining about a rash from the latest bedspread they'd laid beneath, Kol scratched his neck. "Might be bugs," he groaned.

Rolling her eyes, Davina switched on the radio with her hand. They had no idea who was watching. A drone could take a pic of Davina waving a hand to change the station and they could end in a camp, or wherever the supes who were taken, ended up.

Eyes going to the rearview mirror, Davina caught sight of James. He stared up at the full moon. His hand moved with the breeze, hanging outside the window. "Honey, don't do that. If you lose it, you might never get it back," Davina warned James. He gave her a long look but pulled his hand back inside the car.

Honestly, Davina had no idea how to deal with James' needing to contact Jos. She felt it was too dangerous to call. To do a spell and try to make contact felt like they would be asking for the men who had taken her son's girlfriend to come and collect all three of them. No. Davina would not risk her son and husband on a girl she barely knew, although she could tell it was breaking James' heart.

Sighing, Davina continued down the road. They were headed toward the Mojave dessert. Humans tended to stay out of the unpopulated parts that two vamps and a witch could settle in; if they had to.

~0~

**Day Fifteen:**

"Home sweet home," Kol said in an American accent. He set a box inside the little house they were renting. They'd decided to try Phoenix for awhile.

"Yeah." James looked around the house with a sneer. "Look, a new pet. Can I name him Slither?"

Davina's eyes went to the rattle snake climbing up the living room wall. "No. You may not." She looked to Kol. "Honey, can you kill that thing?" she asked him.

"Sure, darlin,'" Kol whipped out a gun and shot the snake.

Rolling her eyes, Davina wished they did not have human neighbors. She would have let the snake go in the dessert if not for that. A knock sounded on the door and Kol shoved the gun back into his jeans. He strode over and opened the door.

"Hi, there. Thought we'd bring by a pie but then we heard the shot and didn't know whether to call an ambulance instead," a man in a baseball hat said. He popped his head inside and spotted the snake. "Ah. Now I see."

"Why don't you come in?" Davina asked, waving for the man and the woman he was with, to come in. "Hello. I'm Marilyn. This is…"

"Matthew." Kol held out a hand to the strangers. "Matthew Murphy." He waved a hand at James. "This is our son, Luke."

"Hello, Luke. We have a girl, 'bout your age, Paige." The man slapped his knee and laughed. "Where you folks from?"

"Austin. Texas," Davina supplied. Close enough.

"Oh. Really?" the woman cried. "I grew up in Dallas. Almost made the Cowboys cheerleading squad. But that was so long ago." She let out laugh that made Kol want to rip out her spine just to do it. "Well, I'm Tina. And this here is Bill, my husband of twenty years. And, my, you all look so young to have a boy this age."

"I'm adopted," James commented, prodding the dead snake with his boot. "You all like snake soup?"

Tina looked at Bill and then snorted a laugh. "He's just precious. You have got to come over and meet Paige."

"I'm gay," James proclaimed with a smile. "But if you have a son named Peter I'd love to meet him."

Kol smirked and Davina's smile widened. Tina and Bill looked at each other again. Now, their smiles were a bit tight. "Just thought we'd be friendly and bring you the pie. We'll be seeing you around," Tina said, taking Bill's hand and they were gone.

"Thank you, Luke," Kol said with a smile. "Finally. Quiet."

Rolling her eyes, Davina went back to unpacking. Yes. It would be so easy to fit in.

**Day Sixteen: **

After six o-clock in the evening, Davina glanced at the applications for minimum wage jobs that Kol sneered at. "House painter my ass," he muttered to himself. Eyes flicked upward when the doorbell rang, Davina looked to Kol.

"Are we expecting company?" Kol inquired.

Davina shook her head.

James came out of his new room, his arms crossed over his chest. With a forced sense of calm, Davina made her way to the door. She peered out the peephole. With a sigh, she undid the lock and opened the door. "Hi." She greeted Tina and Bill with a wide, fake smile. "How can I help ya?" she inquired, hand on her skirt-clad hip.

Tina smiled back with glee. "Hi there. Well, we thought about Luke's little situation and funnily enough, we do know a nice young man named Pete. He lives just down the street from us and goes to our church. Thought I'd try to set up a cute-meet over a potluck dinner this Sunday." She peered inside the house.

"Luke, honey, you're in luck. It seems there is a Pete," Davina called to James with a strained smile.

James came to the door. "How nice of you all." He threw an arm around his mother's shoulders. "Like to come in for dinner?" He inquired, sending a pointed look at Kol.

When Davina looked back at Kol, he stood up and looked annoyed before pasting a smile on his face. "We're ordering out," he told Tina and Bill as they came inside. "Hope you like pizza."

"Really, dad?" James rolled his eyes. "You promised to fix us a real home-cooked meal." He turned to their company. "Dad's a real wizard in the kitchen. You wouldn't believe the magic he's capable of. Right, Mom?"

Davina inhaled and decided to not kill her only child. "Of course. He's a wonderful cook."

"Meatloaf then." Kol made his way into the kitchen, mumbling to himself about using people as the meat portion.

Davina wondered how long it would be before one of her two men blew their cover.

_James_

**Day Eighteen: **

Closing his eyes, James inhaled. He smelled Jos' orange perfume. He'd bought her the most expensive bottle in the store that summer. "Do you want me to smell like some kind of fruit punch?" Jos asked, nuzzling James' neck.

James laid in bed beside her. They would be sweating if they were human. The summer heat beat on them as they laid in bed. Jos ran a finger down the length of James' nose and he leaned upward, trying to catch her perfect finger with his teeth.

"No biting!" Jos cried, wagging the tempting finger in his face.

"Oh, really?" James caught Jos by the waist and flipped them so he laid on top of her. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared up at him. She slid her finger into his mouth and he began to suck on it until she pulled it out and then leaned forward, sinking her fangs into his neck.

Falling off the bed, James cried out as Jos' nails dug into his back. He groaned as she writhed on top of him. Jos pulled back, her fangs red and her eyes dark with lust. James' fingers slid into her dark curls and he pulled her mouth to his.

Opening his eyes, James felt an ache that could not be quenched. He needed to be with Jos. To hell with the consequences.

"James, are you up?" Davina called out, knocking on the door before opening it.

James sat up. "Yes, mother?"

"We're going to a party tonight," Davina told him.

"You and father?" James inquired, already bored. Perhaps they would allow him some time on his own where he could find a way to escape this suburban hell they'd created for him to dwell in.

"Actually, we're all going. Tina, Bill and Paige will be there," Davina told James, coming in and leaning against the end of the bed. "Kol and I need to get jobs. You need to go to school. If you make friends with Paige, you'll fit in more easily."

Laughing, James slid off the bed. "If you think I am going to continue this little charade without being able to contact Jos; you're mad." He stomped over to his desk and stared at the top of it. Perhaps he could simply write a letter to Elizabeth. Good, old-fashioned snail mail.

"James, we're doing what is in your best interest. You're going to this dance. And that's final," Davina said, leaving the room and closed the door behind her.

"I thought you said it was a party!" James shouted through the door.

~0~

Hell. Hell might be a better venue than this absurd place. Cacti littered the places. So-called desert flowers. God awful taste in music. Did someone from the local church pick this night's roster of talent?

James tapped his fingers on his knee. He'd been promised a meeting with a boy named Pete and instead he got to sit with a red-headed Paige who reminded him of a sixteen-year-old Raggedy Anne doll. Sighing, James pretended to be interested in Paige's telling him about a tumble weed that she named Bob. Apparently Bob rolled around outside her house. He did not seem to have a home of his own and liked to loiter outside their homestead.

"How clever of him," James replied dully. He missed Sam. Unfortunately when he thought of pretty little Sam, James thought of his cousin, Temis, and then he thought of their sexual antics and then he thought of blinding himself. Yes, Temis and James were not blood related but it still made him a bit sick. So, James dwelled on Jos instead which just made him furious.

"Are you okay?" Paige asked, a freckled hand going to James.'

James' brows shot up. "Why would I not be?"

"Um…" Paige's brows knit together. "Are you in a play?" She giggled.

"No." James retorted, already wanting to rip her head off and drink her blood.

Paige stopped giggling. "You should be careful."

"Why?" James replied as he watched his mother dancing with Bill.

Paige leaned closer. "'Cause everyone's watching. People notice things like your accent. So, if you're in some kind of trouble. You should remember that."

Finally looking at Paige, James saw that her eyes were brown. Pretty eyes. Shaking his head, James cocked his head to the side. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." He turned to see his father coming to join them with some punch.

"Brought this. Tastes horrible," Kol told them.

"Thank you. Mr. Murphy," Paige said, accepting a cup and giggling, again. "Your mom really likes to dance," she said, nudging James.

"She does," Kol said, sitting down and watching her. "Perhaps in another life she might have been a dancer."

"Yeah?" Paige cupped her chin and watched in awe. "I can't dance. At all." She wiggled her feet. "Got two left feet." She shook her head. "And no one ever asks me."

"James, be a gentleman and ask the girl to dance," Kol said, pushing James to get out of his seat.

James got up. "My dearest, dearest Paige, will you dance with me?" James bowed to Paige who laughed and got to her feet.

"You have no idea what you're asking for, here, mister," Paige said.

Going to the dance floor, James encircled the girl's waist and his mind went straight back to Mystic Falls.

~0~

"I'm going to be Miss Mystic Falls," Jos declared, her arms flung outward as James spun her around the public high school gym. They were alone and James had brought in a musical device that acted much like those old vacuum cleaners, rolling around the floor and pouring out hip-hop.

"You believe so?" James inquired, enjoying Jos' carefree attitude of the evening. Most nights he could feel the specter of Sandra Bennett-Gilbert attached to this lovely girl. Not tonight. Jos had had too much drink and she smiled at the ceiling. "I can see the stars, James."

"Really?" James blinked at the ceiling.

"No dummy," Jos laughed and slapped his chest before leaning her head on his shoulder. "But I could, if we borrowed a rocket launcher. Think of it, the school will have a new sunroof."

"Global warming might make its touch uncomfortable for your little human mates, love." Pressing a kiss to Jos' warm cheek, James swayed. "But if it will make you happy…"

Jos whirled around in his arms and stared into his eyes. "You really do love me, don't you, James Mikaelson?" She offered him a dreamy look.

James nodded, leaning down and pressing his forehead to Jos.' "I would kill for you, Josette. I would die for you. You're the love of my life." He whispered the last part in her ear. He could tell her thoughts were already drifting away from him. _Even if I am not yours,_ he added, silently.

Jos pulled back from him. "Let's go set the sprinklers off?" she enthused, dragging him out and into the night. She made James stand by the bleachers and then she disappeared.

Soon water came out of the ground and James found himself being drenched. Jos appeared with a laugh. She ran to him, leaping into his arms and threw her head back. "I love James Mikaelson!" she shouted.

"I love Josette Saltzman!" James shouted.

Jos pressed her lips to James' and he wished for the kiss to never end.

~0~

"Who is Jos?" Paige asked and James found himself holding a completely different girl in his arms.

"Oh. She's a friend of mine," James replied. He hoped he hadn't said anything else but did not have time to dwell on the matter.

A Storm Trooper came in. He came with a group of friends. "Well, bugger," James muttered.

"Luke," Davina called.

James pulled away from Paige. "Sorry. Mom's calling." He moved to join his parents as the Troopers spread out and people became wary. Then something amazing happened. Something James never thought would happen.

Bill and Tina became giant snakes. "Oh, my! And I hoped to never see them naked," James muttered to Kol who nodded.

Now Bill began to try to bite a Storm Trooper's head off while Tina went at another one.

"Time to go?" Kol inquired.

"Yes," Davina said.

James followed his parents toward the exit while others ran from the dance. He only stopped when he saw a lonely little snake slithering between people's feet. "Wait," he said. He stooped and picked the snake up and then slid it inside his pocket.

"You're not keeping that thing," Davina said, shaking her head. "We'll set it free on our way out of here.

"Right," James commented.

~0~

Back inside the house, James pulled his new pet out and turned his back. "Paige?"

"Oh, my God!" Paige shrieked. "Oh, my…"

"Stop screaming!" James yelled, turning and his hand clamped over Paige's mouth before she could make another noise. "You've got to stop! Now!"

"What are you?" Paige whimpered.

"Vampire. You?" James wriggled out of his jacket and handed it over.

"Demon," Paige replied, sliding the jacket on. "You might have read about my uncle Crowley in _Good_ _Omens_. Writers. They're always stealing people's real life tales." She shook her head in disgust.

"James, are you ready?" Davina stopped in the doorway. "Paige?"

"Hi, Mrs. Murphy?" Paige waved a hand.

Davina looked at James. "Paige is your new pet?"

"Seems so. Can I keep her, Mum?" James clasped his hands together.

"Fine," Davina rolled her eyes.

"Do you think my parents will be okay?" Paige asked as James went to grab some clothes for her. If they were all going on the road, she could not run around in the jacket alone.

"Probably not. Maybe they'll end up with my girl, Jos," James said. This meant he might have a new ally in finding Jos.

"You have a girlfriend. I thought you were gay," Paige said.

"No. Well, it's complicated. I'm bi." James said. "Best way of explaining it."

"Okay." Paige nodded. "Is your girl a vamp?"

"No. She's siphon," James explained. "And my name is James."

"Oh?" Paige looked confused. "So, not Murphy?"

"Mikaelson," James added.

"Oh? Wow! Mikaelson. Almost a demon," Paige grinned. "Cool."

James grinned back. Maybe he had made a friend after all. And as long a she did not cause him trouble, James might even be inclined to help save her parents. After all, if Klaus could be hero-like, so could James. Maybe. Probably. Odds were fifty-fifty. Really.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Answers to guest reviews: **

**Guest: Thank you! **

**Emma Salvatore: That's good news. **** Hope you enjoyed this chap, too. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello, my lovely readers. The Mikaelson-Gerard women have their own ways of dealing with life's twists. On with the show…**

Chapter 9: So, That's What's Behind Door Number Three

_Rebekah_

Of all the things in the world that were glaringly obvious to Rebekah Gerard nee Mikaelson; the sudden return of her mother seemed like a small thing. If she compared her mother's reappearance to the outing of all supernatural kind, her children's romantic choices—and choosing to remain in the tiny town of Mystic Falls with the added displeasure of the para-military idiots who stalked them all—well, Rebekah was not impressed. No, Rebekah was seething.

One of the reasons Rebekah was currently seething stood a few feet from her. Niklaus. "This is all your bloody fault!" she spat out. She couldn't help it. It felt right.

Turning on his heel, Niklaus stalked over to his younger sister and he glowered back at her. "Excuse me?"

"If you had not gone prattling on about what a Big, Bad vampire you were to that bloody human; we would not be here, right now!" Rebekah hissed out.

"Rebekah, this is not the time," Elijah called. He stood a few feet to their left, scanning the area that they stood in. Hayley stood by Elijah's side. The hybrid chose to say nothing and to ignore the possible argument evolving to her right.

"Oh, no, Elijah. Allow our sister to continue. No doubt she'll show the error of her own logic soon enough." Klaus smirked back at Rebekah. That smug smirk sent Rebekah over the edge.

"You were gloating about being a serial killer! And you thought nothing of our lives! Our futures! You told a human what we were, what we were capable of and now you act as if you're shocked that we are now being hunted down like bloody wildlife!" Rebekah could not help adding. "Caroline's daughter is undergoing who knows what kind of torment because of what: your ego!"

The air stilled and Rebekah could hear tiny insects flitting about but even their activities waned as Klaus's rage built. "How dare you!" he growled out. "Do you believe, sister, that they fear you less? Did you forget my telling of your machinations as well as my own? After all, our stories are intertwined. Are they not?"

"Thanks to you. You couldn't just tell of your own misdeeds. You dragged me, Elijah, Kol, and Marcel into it. As if each of us were simply extensions of your own sorry existence. Oh, brother, we should have torn you limb from limb and scattered your bits across the globe!" Rebekah snarled out. Her fury was getting the best of her but she couldn't help it. Ever since the report, all Rebekah wanted to do was unleash her anger upon her brother's insolence.

"You—" Klaus snarled out, his hands were balled at his sides. Yes. It looked like their little quarrel would end in a daggers-for-all sequence. Too bad daggers did not work on the likes of Rebekah's kind.

"Enough!" Caroline cried out. "Just stop it!" The other blonde turned to glare at her fiancée and her would-be-sister-in-law. "Are we here to find out what those jackasses did to Esther, or are we going to spend the entire night at each other's throats? 'Cause I don't really care." She looked from Klaus to Rebekah.

"Caroline…" Klaus looked properly chastised and Rebekah shrugged. "Let's see if we might find a way inside. Shall we?" He finally had a sensible thing to say.

"Someone needs to stay outside. In case the rest of us are taken," Elijah added.

"How do we figure out who stays back? Draw straws?" Hayley asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "If we get in, we might be able to get Jos out." Her eyes went to Caroline. Rebekah groaned internally. False hope was all this group needed right now. However, she kept her mouth shut.

"I'll stay back," Freya offered. "You might need a witch to be able to aid you in fleeing."

"Good," Klaus said. "Rebekah, you should stay with her."

Rebekah's brows went up. She so did enjoy setting things on fire. And the idea that they might have reason to set this group of idiot's little lab on fire had appealed to her. Then again, the fire could spread and kill young Jos. Not a result Rebekah would ever wish for.

With a sigh, Rebekah shrugged. "Better to have a witch and the strongest Original out here, just in case." Again, Niklaus prickled. He must truly hate no longer being superior to Rebekah. The thought made Rebekah smile. She moved to cup Marcel's face. "Be careful, you handsome fool," she whispered, kissing him on the lips before resting her forehead against his.

"I'll always come back to you, Rebekah Mikaelson," Marcel swore, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles before he fell into step behind Niklaus. Caroline led the pack with Hayley following the rest. If Rebekah had to take a bet; she would say it was a fierce enough team. However, with so many of them being her family…it worried her.

"They'll be fine," Freya whispered. Her quiet, calm voice in the darkness helped sooth Rebekah's nerves.

Rebekah moved to lean against Elijah's car. "I'm sure." No. She did not feel sure about anything. Too many people had been captured. There were too many unanswered questions about what their new enemy wanted. Eradication of the entire supernatural species? To use them as a weapon? Frightening and odd science experiments? The possibilities were endless.

"What do you suppose they want?" Rebekah asked Freya.

Freya frowned. "After what Lucien Castle created…I dread to wonder." Her expression softened. "Not that I believe you ever complained. After all, you were able to create a child. It must make you wonder to think that you and Niklaus can reproduce."

"Yes." Rebekah thought of her own miracle baby. Artemis. Strong. Smart. Powerful. She could bring nations to their knees. Create a lasting peace or end so many… It meant many would view Temis in the same manner they viewed Hope, with either dread, or relish.

Thoughts turning to Freya's life, Rebekah smiled. "You, too, have your own little miracle, don't you?"

"I do," Freya chuckled. "My daughter…" Her eyes darkened. "I could not bear the thought of feeling an ounce of what Caroline must be going through right now."

"It's horrible. To have your child taken." Rebekah could barely control her supernatural side when she thought of what might be happening to Jos. How in the world Caroline managed to not go after her child and to tear the people who kept them apart already, Rebekah did not quite understand.

"How do you believe Alaric Saltzman is coping?" Freya inquired. Brows shooting upward, Rebekah realized that their little group had not taken the time to keep tabs on the headmaster of the Salvatore school.

"Hopefully he's a little too busy working to stop and make plans that would end in his demise," Rebekah tried to deflect her sudden panic. Caroline would be devastated if something happened to the twin's father. And who would take over running the school if one of half of the founders no longer walked the earth?

Freya held up a hand. "Someone is coming."

Narrowing her eyes, Rebekah wondered how in the bloody hell she had not noticed that someone from the bloody buildings was headed their way.

"Good evening, Ladies. Can I help you with something?" the young man in front of them asked. He was not wearing the usual commando garb of the henchman who went about Mystic Falls snatching up supernaturals.

Freya nodded with a smile. "Yes. My boyfriend's in the military and he was hoping to check out your place. He's in need of a job. Real bad." She batted her eyelashes at the brown-eyed man who glanced at Rebekah.

"And who is she?" the man asked. He seemed skeptical at best of Freya's story.

"My sister. Don't mind her. She doesn't talk much," Freya continued with the annoying accent. Now, she was twirling her hair around the end of her finger. Offering the man a huge grin, Freya leaned against Elijah's car. Yes, apparently Freya wanted to go for Southern Girl mash-up with Paris Hilton or whichever twit-of-the-month was popular.

Rebekah looked at the buildings. "I think there's a fire. Comin' from way back…" She made her eyes go wide as Freya's mouth rounded in a wide O of shock.

"Fire?" the man glanced over his shoulder. "Ladies, I can assure you, there is no fire back there." He let out a chuckle and hooked his thumb at the building behind him.

"You sure?" Freya's hands went to her elbows. "Oh, I hope not. My granddaddy died in a big blaze when I was just a little baby."

The man stopped chuckling and his dark brows came together. "Do you mind coming with me?" he asked. His hand went to a gun in his belt.

"There it is! Again!" Freya screamed.

The man's head turned and this time there did seem to be sparks coming from where the buildings were. "Shit!" the man took off at a run.

Freya sighed. "The illusion spell will not last. I do hope they found something in the meantime."

"Right." Rebekah pulled out her phone. _Leave. Now! We've been spotted, _she texted Marcel before pocketing her phone. Getting into the passenger side of Elijah's car, Rebekah felt better when Freya put her foot on the gas pedal. They needed to get the hell of here. Now. 

~0~

Not knowing where the bloody hell her family was, set Rebekah's nerves blaze. She'd changed her clothes three times since arriving home.

"Is Dad home yet?" Temis called, waltzing into the room. She placed a hand on her hip and eyed her mother in a way that made Rebekah feel like screaming. Teenagers did know just how to drive their loving parents into an early grave. Thankfully Rebekah had no fear of death. At least not today.

"No. He's not. Don't you have homework?" Rebekah retorted, picking up her drink and forcing her tone to stay even.

"Shouldn't he be back?" Temis asked. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Perhaps. Where is Theo?" Rebekah watched Temis' eyes wander away from her mother's face. Her daughter's body titled toward the door and Rebekah felt her heart rate speed up. "Temis!" Her voice came out sharp and Temis' wide eyes returned to her mother's face.

"He's gone to Hope's." Temis said. "Dad should be home already. I planned on going out, too. Sam's expecting me."

"Oh, is he?" Rebekah let out a dry laugh as Freya came into the living room. When she came home to find her daughter had returned, Rebekah expected they'd stay in for the night. The last thing she wanted was for them to leave the house, especially if their father had been taken by the bloody paratroopers.

As much as Rebekah hated to think it, she was beginning to suspect that Kol had the right idea—leaving Mystic Falls behind—along with all of its odd and seemingly endless problems would be a blessing right now.

Freya placed a hand on Rebekah's arm. "Sorry, Temis, but I need to speak with your mother for a moment."

Temis rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll be in my room." She stomped over to the stairs and then darted up them much more quickly than a normal human could.

Sighing, Rebekah turned to Freya. "Have any of them contacted you?" she asked, keeping her voice down. Who knew if Temis had really gone to her room or if she was sitting at the top of the stairs and was eavesdropping on every word they said.

Freya shook her head. "There's nothing. I would like to try to send a message to them but I'm afraid someone else will find it."

Rebekah understood. Freya had a child of her own. These fools might have a place in New Orleans, too, where they were rounding up the supernaturals.

Before Rebekah could say another word the door opened and Marcel came walking through it. "Marcel!" Rebekah cried out. She felt relief course through her body. "Where have you been?" she demanded.

Marcel shook his head as Hayley and Elijah entered. A limp Caroline leaned into Hayley's arms while Elijah moved behind the blonde vampire. "What the bloody hell happened?" Rebekah demanded, her voice rising with each new word.

"Had to use a tranq gun on her," Marcel said.

"Why?" Rebekah demanded, her eyes narrowing.

"It's Niklaus, Rebekah," Elijah said quietly. "He's missing."

"He's what?" Rebekah felt like Elijah had hit her. She rocked back on her heels and Freya caught her, holding her younger sister up as Rebekah shook her head. Niklaus. Never Niklaus. He was too strong. Too smart to be captured by these fools. "And you let them have him!" she finally managed to thunder at her family.

Elijah moved closer to her. "Rebekah, this was not our intent."

"I don't give a bloody damn about your intent!" Rebekah snarled. "If you refuse to go back and get our brother, I will!" She sped toward the doorway when a pair of hands went to either side of her neck.

"Sorry, Bekah," Rebekah heard Marcel's words and felt his warm breath on her ear as he twisted her neck and darkness enveloped her.

_Temis_

Sitting at the top of the stairs, Temis felt her mind whizzing from one bit of information to another. The group of military—or whatever they really were—have taken her beloved Uncle Nik. Her mother just tried to go out and play hero and her father bloody well snapped her neck.

Temis' first instinct was to go downstairs and to rail against the injustice of what her father had just done to her mother. If anyone in their family could save Niklaus Mikaelson, it would be Rebekah bloody Mikaelson.

Since her mother could not do the job, Temis felt it was her duty to do it for her. Tip-toeing back to her room while her father, uncle and aunts argued about what to do next Temis went about the work of gathering her supplies together. Weapons. Knock-out dust. And little bottles that exploded when you threw them at people. Technically, Temis was not supposed to have any of these things in her room.

Pushing her window open, Temis tossed her bag down before she hopped out. She gathered her bag and strode toward the street. If anyone asked, she was headed for her boyfriend, Sam's place. If she got lucky, no one would ask where she was going at all.

~0~

Not ten minutes later, Temis' phone began to ring. She glanced at the screen to find that her father was calling her. She ignored the call. No need to call him back until she found Klaus and brought him home to safety.

Another two minutes passed and Temis' phone rang. This time it was Sam. Her heart banged around in her chest. She bit her lower lip, her finger moving far too close to the button to answer the call. Of all the people in the world Temis would rather have with her in a situation like this it would be Sam.

However, Temis was also well-aware of Sam's status as a newborn vamp. As his creator, Artemis had a certain responsibility toward him. She needed to prevent him from exposing his nature or from killing too many people.

With a sigh, Temis slid her phone back into her back pocket. She'd have to do this mission on her own.

Less than a minute after that her phone rang again. This time it was Theo with a text: _Where the hell are you? Dad's freaking!_

Shaking her head, Temis turned her phone off and then continued on her path. There was every likelihood that her family had already used an app to track her down. She did not have much time before they would find her. She felt regret before she tossed her phone into a bush and kept going.

~0~

It would be helpful if the bloody idiots placed a big sign up that said: Welcome to the Relocation Center for Your Supernatural Friends, Family, Neighbors and Mailman.

No. Nothing that simple. Temis groaned as she tried to figure out where it was that her family had gone. So far she'd been able to retrace their path using a spell that enhanced their tire tracks. However, Aunt Freya must have been working extra hard to prevent those who might follow them home from finding them. Artemis found herself walking around in circles. Oh, yes. Freya must have used a spell, too.

If only Temis could reverse the spell for herself but not those who were hunting her family down. Realizing that might be over her head, Artemis' hand went to her back pocket. She would call Hope. It was Hope's father who was missing. Together, the cousins could track down Klaus and bring him back to safety.

Feeling nothing where her phone should be; Temis remembered two things. One: she already tossed her phone. And two: that Elizabeth Saltzman had taken off and Hope had probably gone to track her down.

"Bloody hell," Temis groaned, rolling her eyes as she glanced up at the night sky and tried to think of what to do next.

A light appeared from Temis' left and she realized she did not have any more time to think of her next step. A group of the men she'd intended on finding and following them back to their lair, approached her. "It's okay, fellas. It's just a girl," one of the men called out. He held up a hand and the other men who had moved toward Temis, guns aimed at her heart and her head, slowed their forward march.

"Hey there, kid. You seen anyone who seemed out-of-place tonight?" the man asked.

"Pardon?" Temis shook her blonde curls and offered them a confused expression.

"Whatcha out here so late for?" one of the other men asked. He did not seem as convinced as his boss that Temis was not a threat. His finger lingered on the trigger of his gun. She sensed his desire to point it at her head.

Temis offered her would-be-murderer a sweet smile. "My boyfriend. He texted me to meet him. But I think I got lost. My phone battery died and I dropped it a couple of blocks back. When I went back to find it, I couldn't. I think someone took it."

"You need me to call someone for you?" the man who thought he was the boss, asked.

"No. I'm sure Leo is just running a bit late. He has a horrible sense of timing," Temis let out a quiet laugh, brushing her hair behind her ear.

The boss of the merry group of fools looked at the other men. "You shouldn't stay out, sweetheart. There are things in the woods. Some of them have sharp teeth. You never know when one of them will sink them into your throat. Then there won't be any more cute meet-ups with Lenny."

"Leo." Temis tilted her head to the side. Keep to the same story. They'll know if you're lying. Her parents had taught her well. And as long as she could keep herself calm, this plan would work perfectly. It was only if one of these men made her angry that Temis might lose control and then she would expose her true nature.

"Right." Fool Number One nodded his head. "Good luck with Leo, kid."

"Thank you. Good luck with finding your fanged friends," Temis waved them good-bye before she made her way in the other direction. She could allow them to continue on their way for the next five yards before she would become the predator again.

Humming an old song that girls her age liked, Temis swayed back and forth as she walked along a sidewalk and bided her time. If any of the fools doubled back, she needed to still look like she was looking for "Leo."

Temis wondered if it was this group of men who had taken her Uncle Nik. Uncle Nik would have ruthlessly torn through them and left one of them alive to tell where to find him. Then he would have killed the last one without mercy.

Her thoughts were interrupted when someone's boots making their way toward her made Temis whirl around. "Temis, what the hell are you doing?" Sam's voice.

"Sam, how did you find me?" Temis demanded.

"Hope," Sam said. "She used Theo to do a quick locator spell."

"How good of her," Temis said drily. "And has she found her errant sister?"

"Not yet." Sam shook his head. "We need to go back to your parents' house. Your mom called me. She's panicked. Your phone isn't working."

"I tossed it in a bush," Temis said. "Samuel, I need your help. The bloody. G. I. Joes took my Uncle Nik. We need to find him."

"Temis, we can't go after those guys. Not yet. We need to go home!" Sam replied, his icy blue eyes burning into Temis.' He took her hand and tried to pull her forward but Temis refused to budge.

"Temis!" Sam snapped. "Don't make me use my power here."

"I'm a witch!" Temis retorted. "There is nothing you can do to me."

Sam shook his head. "Yes. There is." He sped over and clamped a hand over her nose and mouth.

Temis's eyes widened and she began to claw at his hand as he held her tight. As long as she could not speak, she could not work her magic on him and not being able to breathe was ruining all of her plans.

"I got one!" the trigger-happy man from before appeared and raised his gun toward Sam's head.

Temis' eyes met Sam's and he flung them out of harm's way. Now that Sam's hand was off of her mouth, Temis found herself smiling. "You're confused. This is my boyfriend, Leo," she told the man. "Now, please, be a dear and radio your little friends to go away."

The fool shook his head at her. "You're one of them, aren't you? You're a monster!"

"It depends on how you define monsters. Are they myths to scare little children away from danger, or are they scared, little men like you who feel powerless in the face of beings you choose not to understand?" Temis smirked down at the man. She lifted a hand and said, "_Incendia_."

The man's eyes registered pain as he looked at his gun which had lit up and began to melt to his skin. "What are you doing?" he whimpered.

"Where is my uncle?" Temis demanded.

"What uncle? We didn't pick anyone up tonight. Our orders were to find two suspicious women who were hanging around headquarters," he cried as Temis' eyes went to his legs.

"I don't believe you. I think you have my uncle. At the very least you have my friend, Jos. Now, you'll use your radio to tell your friends that everything is all right. Then you will take me to Jos."

"I can't do that." The man shook his head and Temis snapped her fingers. The man's leg made a satisfying snapping sound.

"Temis, stop it! His buddies are going to be here, soon. We need to go!" Sam cried, grabbing Temis by the shoulders.

Temis rounded on Sam. "He would have killed us both," she snarled out.

"Temis, your eyes," Sam said. His expression had changed to one of shock. "It's the full moon. We need to get out of here."

"No. Not until I'm done with him." With a wave of her hand, Temis sent Sam flying.

Whirling on her heel, Temis returned to the fool. "Tell me where Jos is," she told him.

"I can't. They'll do worse to me than you can," the fool cried, tears running down his cheeks.

"Do you really believe that?" Temis inquired. She squeezed her hand and the man's hand went to his heart.

"Temis! Temis, don't!" Sam cried as Temis began to pant. She could feel the man's life in her hand.

"There is nothing worse than what I will do to you for hurting those I care for," Temis said. Then she snapped her fingers and the man's neck snapped. "Let this be a lesson to those who hurt the Mikaelsons." She turned to join Sam who shook his head at her handiwork.

A sudden feeling of her bones breaking made Temis' eyes widen. "Sam!" she cried.

"What in the hell?" a voice called out.

Sam shot to his feet and became a blur as he picked up Temis and sped out of the area.

~0~

The next morning, Temis laid on her side. She found that she was in the basement of her home. Inside a cell. "Sleep well?" Sam asked her.

"No." Temis took the shirt he offered her. She waited until he unlocked the door. "We have to go back out tonight," she was saying on the way up the stairs.

"You are grounded forever," Marcel said as Temis and Sam came out of the basement.

Temis frowned at her father but a pounding on the front door stopped their conversation. They moved toward the door at the same time that Rebekah opened it. "Nik?" she cried.

"Say 'Hello' to your new houseguest, Marcus Hamilton. Young Marcus knows the layout of the place which holds Jos." Klaus said as he shoved a man in front of him. "We had time to chat while I waited for his little friends to stop looking for us."

"That's wonderful. Well, while you are out having a sleepover with your new friend, my daughter triggered her werewolf side," Rebekah snapped. "Happy now?"

Klaus looked at Temis who felt rather stupid for all of her efforts. "I'm going to bed for the next century," Temis announced, walking away.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Answers to guest reviews: **

**Guest: Thank you! Hope you enjoyed this one, too! **

**Emma Salvatore: That's great news! I hope you enjoyed the update. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello, my lovely readers. Pain, heartache and some new twists pop up in this chap along with another canon **_**Legacies**_** character… On with the show…**

Chapter 10: Well, That's Shocking

_Sam_

Slumping down in front of his girlfriend's bedroom door, Sam Salvatore contemplated the ceiling. He could hear the excitement of the Mikaelson family downstairs. They were trying to figure out what to do with the hostage. "He's not staying here!" Rebekah. "Klaus, I can't believe you took one of their men!" Caroline. "This is typical Klaus. Act first. Think later." Hayley. "Perhaps we can make him useful." Elijah. A muffled cry from the hostage and then a low chuckle from Klaus before. "If nothing else, I believe that Caroline might want to ask him some questions. Don't you love?"

Sam heard footsteps on the stairs. "She still in there?" Marcel Gerard asked as he made his way down the long hallway. He slid down the wall opposite Sam.

"Yup." Sam lifted ice blue eyes to meet Temis's father's dark brown ones. Marcel nodded, turning his head to the side for a moment. "She's a lot like her mother. She's got fire in her belly. But she also cares a lot about people. Sometimes those feelings can overwhelm her. That's why it's good she's got you. You ground her."

"I do?" Sam didn't feel like he grounded Artemis Gerard. She did as she pleased. And he loved her for it. Although sometimes it scared him a little. Watching her kill a man. That scared him.

"Did she turn tonight?" Marcel asked. He nodded at the closed door.

"She started to…" Sam glanced at the closed door. "But she stopped. I stopped her. I think…" He glanced back at Marcel. "How did you know she turned?"

"I could smell the blood on her," Marcel replied, shrugging. "I guess she doesn't have to turn like Klaus and Hope do." He shook his head. "What we are… What I turned myself into. It's odd. Not really a wolf. Not really a vamp. Not anymore. Not for a while." His eyes pinned Sam to the spot. "She's more dangerous to you now, Samuel. Be careful."

"I…" Sam felt his throat constrict. He'd never felt afraid of what Temis might do him. It's really other people he feared for. Usually he feared his friends near his sister. Fanny. She was only human. She couldn't fight back. But the rest of them could. Except for Theo.

"I'm going down." Marcel pushed himself to his feet. "Let me know if Artemis comes out."

"Sure." Sam nodded and watched Marcel leave.

After a long moment, Sam got to his feet. Turning to the door, he lifted his hand and knocked. "Temis, can I come in?" he called.

No response. Frowning, Sam tried the door and found she'd locked it. "Temis, open the door. I know you can hear me." Pressing his ear to the door, Sam heard Temis' breathing. "Temis, baby…"

Finally the lock snapped out of place. Sam's hand went down to the knob and he turned it. Temis laid on her side. The lights were all off and she was staring out her window at the full moon. "Temis?" Sam made his way inside the room and closed the door behind him.

"I don't want to talk about it, Sammy," Temis replied. Her voice was thick. Sam thought she had been crying. "Just leave me alone."

"Temis, don't shut me out." Sam heard himself begging and he wanted to kick himself. She would think he was weak. He should just go over and climb into bed with her and hold her even if she wanted him to leave. Isn't that what the guys did in the movies?

Instead, Sam walked over to the side of the bed. He knelt down in front of Temis, his fingertips moved to lay on top of the cover, barely touching the bed as he peered up at her. Temis' blue eyes met Sam's. They were glassy with unshed tears. "No," she whispered.

"Temis," Sam leaned closer. "Please…" He watched her squeeze her eyes shut.

"I'm a monster," Temis muttered, pressing her mouth into her pillow. Her small body curled up. Her legs and arms trying to burrow into her belly as she turned into a compact ball of all-too-human-misery. "I'm a murderer."

"Temis, he's part of a group of people who are doing unspeakable things to our friend. They're the monsters," Sam said. His hand moved to stroke her curls when he withdrew it to run it through his own. "No one would blame you for what you did."

"Yes. They would!" Temis snapped. Her head spun and she stared at Sam through narrowed eyes. "Your mother. Your father. Both fragile humans. Your sister. Fragile. Human. Just like the man whose life I took tonight. I enjoyed it, Sam. I did. And I will do it again. And again. And again. And one day there will be no going back. Because…" Temis inhaled and rolled onto her side, turning her back on Sam. "Because I am a Mikaelson. Because we are all monsters."

"Temis, you're a Gerard," Sam argued.

"Oh, yes. My father. The saint. And his father before him. His human father who did horrid things to my father. Honestly, it's not shocking that I am what I am. Thankfully for my parents they adopted Theo. There's hope that someone in this forsaken family will survive the curse." Temis let out a little sob and took hold of an extra pillow, pressing it into her stomach.

Sighing, Sam could tell that no matter what kind of solace he tried to offer Temis tonight; she did not want to hear it. He pushed himself to his feet and walked across the room. Pulling out Klaus' Mikaelson's old chair, Sam took a seat and contemplated a tiny paint stain that would never come out of the edge of the wood. Or maybe that was the blood from one of his many victims. Maybe Temis was right. Maybe her entire family was doomed.

Looking across the room, Sam watched Temis' chest begin to move up and down in a steady rhythm as she fell asleep. He hoped she slept well. He knew he would be getting no real rest tonight. His mind traveled to whatever Klaus was doing to the man he'd taken as hostage. Would Klaus make the basement run red with the man's blood? Would that mean they got Jos back?

Sam frowned, wondered if Hope, Theo and Freddy managed to find Li. If she wasn't okay, Hope might lose it like Temis had and God help the first person she laid her hands on. Shifting in the chair, Sam folded his arms over his chest. At least Sandy was home. That meant that Fanny was probably tucked into bed with her cousin and talking through what had happened to Sandy in the Prison World. One less person for Sam to have to worry about being harmed.

With the last thought, Sam fell into a dreamless sleep.

_Fan_

"Fanny, you should go home," Hope ordered Fanny.

"It's not Fanny anymore, Hope. It's Fan," Fan snapped, glowering at the older girl and jutting her chin outward. "And if Sandy's coming—given everything she's been through—I'm staying, too."

"Really?" Hope demanded. She looked from Fan to Sandy.

Sandy looked pale but determined. "Jos would be here. Since she isn't, I am." She narrowed her eyes at Hope and Fan felt herself smirking. "And it's Sand now."

"Oh, goody. Anyone else choosing to change their names?" Hope snapped at them. "Theo? Freddy?" Her eyes went to the two boys in their group.

"I'm still going by Theo," Theo told them. He also looked paler than usual. Fan thought she understood since Theo and Li had a fight and now she had run off and might have been taken by the creepers who had been snatching their friends, family and teachers. It felt like a hollow pit in Fan's stomach. She felt enough worry about her baby, but add in all the new crazy and she had a whole new set of reasons for up-chucking in the bushes around town.

"Maybe we should have asked for help from your dad," Fan said quietly. She felt it necessary to try to use logic in that moment. "Or maybe Caroline?" Caroline was one of the crazily organized people. And she would have a better idea of where Li might hide out, right?

"No. Li's my sister," Hope retorted, already striding ahead of them. "And I know where she would go in a time of crisis."

"Oh, and where is that?" Fan demanded, trying and failing to keep up with Hope's onward march.

"The Boarding School." Hope called over her shoulder.

"She went to see her dad?" Freddy inquired, glancing back at Fanny, his brows rising. It did not seem like a Li Saltzman thing to do to fight with her boyfriend and then go run to her dad.

"No. The twins have a hang-out," Hope told them.

"Oh…" Fan vaguely remembered Li and Jos once inviting her to a party at the boarding school. But Fanny had hesitated to go because it was on the premises of the supernatural school where she doubted she would be greeted with open arms.

"You can still go home," Hope said, turning to shoot Fan a look.

Fan straightened her shoulders. "I'm not afraid." In fact, she was not afraid. If any of the vamps took a bite out of her, they would end their being vampy. Then again, Fan was not supposed to be advertising that fact. Sandy would be there. And Freddy. They would keep the vamps and wolves at bay. Nothing to worry about.

~0~

"Maybe you should stay out here," Hope said as she tapped in the code for the Salvatore Boarding School's gate. She glanced back at Fan.

Folding her arms over her chest, Fan shook her head. "Nope. I'm going in with you. She's my friend, too." They might not have been close for long, but that did not mean that with Sandy returning, Fan just forgot her new bond with her old enemy.

"Fine," Hope muttered as the gate beeped. Freddy darted forward and grabbed the gate. He pulled it open. Hope led the way inside with Freddy taking up the end of the group. "This way," Hope marched forward like she'd never left the school.

Of course it did not take long before someone appeared. "Mikaelson, what are you doing here?" A boy with black hair and a cocky smile asked Hope. His brown eyes darted over the rest of the group.

"Not your business, Jed," Hope snapped, moving to go around the boy who stepped back into her path. "Jed, if you like your head where it is: Go away!" she snapped.

"You're going to rip my head off?" Jed laughed.

"Yes. I am." Hope's head titled to the side and her eyes flicked downward.

Jed's smile slipped as he looked in the direction of Hope's gaze. "Does Dr. Saltzman know you're here?" he asked, looking at the others. "With humans?"

"No. Are you going to tell him, Jed?" Hope demanded, her eyes flashing.

Jed shook his head. "No." He looked at Sandy and Freddy. "Guess you two are too good to join us." His cocky smile returned. "I can see one of the reasons." His eyes stopped on Fan. She felt startled and she brushed her black curls behind her ear. "Hey, what's your name, New Girl?"

"None your business," Sandy snapped. "Let's go."

Hope pushed forward and she led the way past Jed. But the boy did not seem to know when to go away. He pursued them past the back of the school. "You're not a witch, are you?" Jed asked.

"Nope." Fan shook her head. She could feel her cheeks flushing as she tugged at the ends of the sleeves of her shirt.

"Wolf?" Jed continued. "I'm a wolf."

"So is Freddy," Fan retorted. Her eyes went to Freddy who stayed close to them.

"I know." Jed glanced at Freddy. "So, you like supernaturals?"

"Go away, Jed," Hope snapped.

"Why?" Jed demanded. "You're not even supposed to be here." He folded his arms over his chest.

Hope rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'm going to talk to Li. Do not do anything to make me come back here without her," she pointed a threatening finger at Jed.

Jed grinned as Hope stalked off. Fan would rather stay with Hope but it was clear that Hope intended on hunting down Li on her own. "So, you guys want a tour?"

"No thanks," Sandy said. "Already took a tour."

"I wasn't talking to you," Jed retorted.

"Leave her alone, Jed." Sandy moved in front of Fan.

Jed looked from Sandy to Fan. "Oh! Okay! I get it! Never mind. Freddy, let me know when you want to be part of a pack!" He turned and strode off.

Fan ran a hand through her hair. "Thanks, Sandy. Some guys just don't get when to back off."

"It's the scent," Freddy told Fan who turned to blink at him. "The baby. He can smell something about you. And you're giving off this vibe, like you need to be protected. Some wolves would want to eat you 'cause of it. And some want to mate with you."

"You mean he wants to have sex with me because I'm pregnant?" Fan felt horrified and placed her hands over her middle.

Freddy shook his head. "It's not like that." He paused and looked thoughtful. "It's like he wants to be the guy who's taking care of you. Think of it as the wolf version of the caveman. He wants to make you his family or pack or whatever."

"So, he'd adopt the baby?" Fan glanced downward and thought about what it would be like for the baby to not have a father and if that baby would ever want that.

"I guess." Freddy shrugged. He glanced at Fan and then at the moon. "Good thing I have a moonlight ring now."

"Yeah," Sandy's eyes were on something else. "They're coming."

Li and Hope were coming toward them. Theo moved to go to them but Li gave him a look and he stayed back. "Time to go," Hope said as a howl sounded from the near-by woods. Not all the wolves were taking the night off.

They hurried off the school grounds and they were three blocks away when Fan realized she'd dropped a bracelet she'd had since she was ten. "Guys, I have to go back for a second."

"In the school?" Hope called, looking wary.

"No. I hope." Fan was already moving backwards. "I'll be back in a minute."

"I'm coming with you," Theo said. He moved to join Fan. They walked in silence as Fan went in search of her bracelet. She found it one block back. "So stupid," she said with a laugh. Theo shook his head and moved to head back to the group while Fan worked on getting the good luck charm back on her wrist. But the clasp was broken.

A tiny prick made her neck hurt and her hand went up to find a dart sticking out. "What the hell?" she cried when a bag came down and over her head. "Theo!" she shouted through the bag. "Help me!"

Fan felt a pair of arms around her, pinning her arms to her sides. "Vervian isn't kicking in!" a voice called out.

"Try the wolf's bane," another voice called and Fan felt a needle puncture her leg. This time she felt a lot more pain. "That worked better," her captor called out.

Fan felt herself being thrown against something metal and heard the sound of a vehicle start up and felt it bumping along. "Help," she cried out before passing out.

~0~

Coming to, Fan looked into a beam of light. "Help me," she whimpered.

"Shush, little girl," a voice cooed to her.

"Get out of here, Townsend," another voice grumbled. "Can't get any work done with you in here."

"Can it, Doc. Just wanted to see what the boys brought in this time. A wolf in deer's skin?" Townsend's eyes skimmed over Fan and he traced a finger on her cheek.

"Not…a…wolf…" Fan moaned, her head falling to the side. "Let me go!"

"Can't. Not until we do some tests to make sure you're just a regular human," Townsend said, patting Fan's cheek. "You just settle on down. The doc will take good care of you and that little babe of yours."

Fan jerked at her restraints. "Touch my baby and die screaming!" she snarled, suddenly feeling rage course through her.

"Up the dosage," Townsend said and Fan felt herself going to sleep. The last thing she saw was his creepy smirk.

_Kai_

Feeling annoyed, Kai Parker peered out the window of the car he'd "borrowed" from the local dealer. Can you really call it borrowing if you bury a hunting knife into someone's guts and leave them to bleed to death?

Kai didn't really care. What he did care about was watching his old friends. Damon and Elena were sitting down at the dinner table. The kids weren't at home. Too bad. Kai would love to hang out, just the four of them, but then again those pesky military idiots were like a bunch of ants eating up all the cake and leaving Kai crumbs.

Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, Kai debated on whether he should hang out, stalking the Salvatore family all night and possibly get the Sheriff or the G. I. Joes called on him or if he should go out of town for some fun.

Honestly, Kai felt disappointed. None of the people he'd stalked in the surrounding area gave even a tiny sliver of amusement compared to his wild times with Damon and Bon Bon. And he didn't have any family to kill anymore. Well, that wasn't true. There were Elizabeth and Josette. Stupid G. I. Joes took Jo 2.0. But Elizabeth was still in the mix.

Unfortunately for Kai Li lived with Klaus Mikaelson. Sometimes. Not all the time. Maybe he could find her after school. Or he could stop by the boarding school, take some of the students hostage and lure Ric out. Now, that sounded like fun.

Just as his thoughts began to solidify, Kai caught sight of one of those annoying G. I. Joe vans trolling down the street. Ducking down in his car, Kai waited for them to pass by. Hell, maybe he'd get lucky and they'd stop and he could have some real fun. Lead them on the chase of their lives. Then again, he did not really want to be on their radar. Not yet. Not until he came up with a plan to free Jos and then torture her a bit.

The van went past and around a corner. Too bad. And Kai had been psyching himself up for the challenge.

Looking back inside the Salvatore homestead, Kai's brows went up as Elena picked up her cell phone. Her mouth dropped open and then Damon stood up. Kai leaned over the steering wheel. He could feel his dead heart beating rapidly in his chest at the sight of Damon's face paling.

"Bad news, my friend?" Kai inquired with a mock pout.

Elena fell back into her chair and had begun to cry. Kai wished he could hear what was being said as Damon pulled out his own phone and dialed a number. Toying with the idea of getting out his car and moving closer to the house, Kai dismissed the idea as a group of teens ran toward the house.

The door opened and Damon came out. Now, Kai could hear them as he rolled down his window. "What do you mean 'She was taken?'" Damon shouted at Hope Mikaelson.

Hope shook her head and then edged past Damon and into the house. Kai watched as Sandy slipped inside with Damon's daughter and two boys that Kai didn't care about. Hope said something and Elena got to her feet. The good doctor began to shout at the teenagers, stalking around her living room, her hands had gone into her hair and she let out a sob.

Kai felt like he needed a bowl of popcorn. This could not get any better. Could it?

Thankfully the town always had new surprises. You just had to use a little patience. Sitting back in his seat, Kai folded his arms behind his head and watched as Damon continued to yell at someone on his phone while Hope said something to Elena whose temper had come out in full force. Such a sweet girl. Ha!

After a ten minute wait, Kai saw a car pull up in the driveway. Caroline Forbes. Klaus Mikaelson. Hayley Marshall. Elijah Mikaelson. Even Rebekah Mikaelson showed up to the party. Lips twisting into a smirk, Kai watched as Damon made his way out of the living room. He appeared at the door. "Thanks for coming," he said to Caroline, not even bothering to acknowledge the rest of the gang.

Rubbing his hand together, Kai continued to watch the action. This was just too good. And it could not get better. He felt sure of that as Rebekah put an arm around Hope's shoulders while Elena continued to yell at the tri-brid. Klaus moved between his daughter and the human. Oh! Maybe Klaus would kill Elena. How cool would that be?

Unfortunately for Kai he didn't get to see how that part unfolded because a woman walked past his car. She moved along the sidewalk and did not seem to be in a hurry to get to the Salvatores' house. The raised hood of her jacket prevented Kai from seeing who she was. However, something about the way she moved…

Fingers going to the door handle, Kai found himself needing to get out of the car. He could already feel her squirming in his grip as he clamped a hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming as he dragged her back to the car and took her to a quieter place…

The woman ruined all his plans when Damon came out the front door and Caroline stood in the doorway, waiting for the newcomer to enter the house. Damon's eyes trailed over Kai's car but Kai knew the former vampire could not see inside the car. There were no street lamps. And Kai was not keeping the light in the car on.

The mystery woman went inside the house and Caroline closed the door. Once they entered the living room, the mystery woman pulled down her hood. "Bonnie Bennett," Kai whispered. No wonder he felt the desire to grab her.

Now that Bonnie was in the room, Kai found he could not concentrate on anyone else. She had dark circles under her eyes. Her skin was paler than usual. He pressed a hand to the driver's side window, stroking his fingertips along the image of her cheek. If only he could go into the house and take her. Screw the consequences. He'd have to wait.

Bonnie moved to put an arm around her daughter's shoulders. Sandy's look of misery made Kai feel a little thrill. If only he were the cause of her pain. _Soon, Little Bennett. _

Not long after the little party assembled, they seemed to have made a decision on where to go from there. Kai watched as Damon pressed a kiss to Elena's forehead before he left the house with Klaus and Caroline. Rebekah followed them out with the tallest of the boys and Sandy. Hayley and Elijah did not leave the house. Elijah moved to take a seat across from Elena.

Hope and the other boy left, going in the opposite direction of her father and his little group.

Then Bonnie left. She had raised her hood, again. It wasn't the smartest move for her to be going around by herself with the G. I. Joes on the hunt. But Bonnie Bennett had always been a stubborn woman.

Sliding out from behind the wheel of the car, Kai followed Bonnie on foot. He watched her moving—not in the direction of her house—but toward a different part of town. Kai wondered where she was headed.

Bonnie led Kai toward a more secluded part of the town before she said, "I know you're there, Kai."

"Miss me already?" Kai asked speeding up behind her. His hands went to her shoulders. He expected her to hit him with her magic. But she didn't.

"Not really," Bonnie's voice held a resigned tone that made Kai see red.

"I could have killed your kid any time I wanted to," Kai snarled. "You should be thanking me. I showed her mercy you never showed me."

"Yes, I'm sure you showed her the kind of mercy you show anyone, Kai," Bonnie's voice took on an edge.

Smiling, Kai turned Bonnie around to face him. "Well, I would say: Let's start over. But I think we're past that stage. What do you think I should do? Send you to a Prison World?" Kai cocked his head to the side. "Or just kill you now and leave your body for your friends to find in the morning?" He held up a hand. "Or option C: I turn you!"

Bonnie let out a growl as Kai showed her his fangs and moved to bite into his wrist. "I will never be what you are!" she cried.

"Guess again!" Kai replied. He reached for her, taking hold of the back of her neck when he heard something beyond the acceleration of Bonnie's heart. Two quiet patters. Eyes drifting downward, Kai's hand relaxed and dropped to his side. "What the hell is that?" he said, taking a step back.

"Nothing for you to worry about," Bonnie snapped, moving away from him.

"You're pregnant?" Kai felt his mind whirling. His eyes flicked to Bonnie's. Yup. "They're mine?"

"Never," Bonnie snarled at him.

"Right." Kai nodded and then he ran. Not his problem. Nothing he'd ever dreamed of or wanted. No one asked him to leave town now. He wouldn't be coming back. The Prison World would a better option.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello, my lovely readers. A twist changes Hope's and Freddy's relationship and possibly alters the course of their future. On with the show…**

Chapter 11: There's No Where for Me to Rest My Wicked Head

_Hope_

Sitting down on the floor of her bedroom, Hope Mikaelson stared into the darkness. Her heart hammered in her chest. She knew she would not be able to go to sleep that night. Li was home, safe and sound, tucked under her covers. She laid in a room with one empty bed where her twin sister should be sleeping tonight. Another lost little girl, stolen away by the big men with big guns and no respect for things they did not understand. Hope felt tears fill her eyes. Gulping in air, she did not allow herself to wallow. She thought about Jake. She needed to bring him home. She had to bring him home. She couldn't do this anymore. Not without him…

In the morning, Hope snuck out of the house early. She dressed and grabbed her bag without bothering to take a shower. She'd just slip into the high school before the first gym period and take one. Right now, she had somewhere she had to be.

Stopping outside of the Bennett-Gilbert house, Hope inhaled and then drew herself up to her full height. She could do this. Striding to the front door, Hope raised her hand to knock when a hand came down on her shoulder.

Spinning around, Hope caught the person who grabbed her and flipped him onto his back. The boy let out a cry of surprise and pain. "Geez, Hope, think maybe I might need that arm for… I don't know: Anything today!"

Freddy stared up at Hope. There was a little gleam in his dark eyes before he pushed himself to his feet with his uninjured arm and rubbed his bad shoulder. "Ouch."

"Sorry." Hope shouldered her bag. "I thought you might be –"

"One of them," Freddy cut in. "I know." His head turned and his eyes traveled the road as if one of their "friends" might come rolling down the road to spring out at them at any moment. "Whatcha doin' here?"

"I came to talk to Sandy," Hope replied.

"About?" Freddy's eyes followed Hope's face as she turned her head to the side and studied the side of the house. "This is about Jake, isn't it?" Her eyes found Freddy's. "Hope…" Freddy groaned. His head drooped and he shook it. "Even if she could help you bring him back, this is not a good time. You know that. You'll risk exposure. For, like, the one millionth time. Can't you ever stop being Danger Girl?"

"But know that's my brand," Hope joked. She attempted a smile and Freddy did smile back. "Freddy. I love him. You know that. I can't let him get stuck over there. Not if there's something, anything I can do."

Freddy puffed out his cheeks and held up his hands. "Okay. You got me. Call me a sucker, but I guess I'm going to be your side-kick for this little adventure. But, let me give you some advice, it's probably better to do this the old fashioned way." Without another word, Freddy took hold of Hope's hand and dragged her around to the back of the house.

Peering through narrowed eyes, Freddy walked over to the closest tree and climbed its length before he threw himself at the window to Sandy's room. He tapped on the glass as Hope watched. She placed her hands on her hips, using her vampire-sight to peer into the windows of the neighbors. Seeing that none of them were watching the werewolf hanging off the side of their neighbor's house she watched as Sandy opened the window.

"Freddy, what are you doing?" Sandy said, rubbing her eyelids. She looked as well-rested as Hope.

"Hope's assembling a team of crime-fighters and she wanted to know if you were available," Freddy snarked, edging forward until Sandy had to slip back into her house. Hope watched as Freddy flung himself inside the house. Taking one more quick look around Hope leapt upward and caught the window pane. She smoothly flipped her lower body inside the open window and then slid her upper half inside. Turning around, Hope closed the door. She turned to find Sandy hugging herself.

Blinking, Hope got a good look at Sandy. The girl stood in the middle of the room in a long-sleeved plaid shirt that belonged to someone Hope knew quite well. Jos. Sandy must have kept the shirt from before she and Jos broke up. The younger girl reached up and tucked curls behind her ear. Her cheeks were flushed, and she tugged at the hem of the shirt which only covered the two inches above her underwear.

Freddy glanced at Hope. "You want to change?" he asked.

Hope's brows went up and then she realized that Freddy was talking to Sandy. Hope's eyes went to Sandy. "Yeeaaaahhh," Sandy said. Hurriedly she went to her dresser and gathered some clothes before she disappeared into her bathroom and locked the door.

Sighing, Hope glanced around the room. She almost wished Sandy still had pics of Jos in here. Actually, Hope had never spent that much time with Sandy. So, she'd never spent time in Sandy's bedroom. Cupping her elbows, she moved around, inspecting things laid out in the open. She found she was looking for other little signs of her sister's presence. Or maybe she was looking for something that would help her get Jake back. Or both.

Freddy laid on the bed and picked up a stuffed giraffe. He lifted a hoof and waved it at Hope. Shaking her head, Hope glanced around the dresser top. A familiar-looking necklace lay there. Also Jos.' Or was it before that she gifted it to Sandy? Or maybe she left it here.

The lock in the bathroom clicked open and Sandy came back into the room. She had a long-sleeved sweater on and a pair of leggings. Jos would like that outfit. It would bring out the purple of Sandy's glasses which she had not put on yet.

As if thinking they were part of a mind-meld, Sandy walked past Hope and over to the nightstand where her glasses sat. She pushed them up her nose. Looking self-conscious, Sandy looked at Hope. "So, what is it that you want me to do?"

"You told me that you—that we needed to talk about Jake. And then Li was missing. And then…" Hope watched Sandy's face flush like Hope had slapped her. "Fanny—Fan—Stefanie…" Not being able to continue, Hope moved to sit down beside Freddy. "I thought… Can you tell me: What happened to Jake?"

Sandy's chin jutted outward. "He's gone, Hope."

"Wha—what?" Hope felt like Sandy had just punched her in the gut. "What do you mean: He's gone? Gone where?" Her fingers curled into fists and she buried them deep within Sandy's comforter. Some part of her felt the need to punch a wall in the girl's room but that would simply draw attention to them. She did not want attention. She wanted answers.

"Jake isn't coming back." Sandy stated slowly. Her eyes went to Freddy. "Give me that." Suddenly stomping over to the bed, Sandy held out a hand.

Freddy looked startled by the vehemence in Sandy's tone when she demanded he relinquish the bear to her. "'kay," Freddy mumbled, holding out the bear to Sandy who held it to her side as if he might change his mind and try to take it from her.

"Sandy, tell me what exactly happened to Jake…" Hope watched Sandy, feeling fire pouring into her belly as she spoke. Nothing good would come of how she was feeling at this moment.

"He was helping me. He was helping me to get out. But he didn't want Kai to be able to get out. He had a plan, Hope." Sandy broke off and she let out a little moan and wrapped her arms around herself. "He wanted to come home. He wanted to be with you." Her eyes moved to meet Hope who felt her world tipping sideways. "That was all he talked about—whenever we got away from Kai—was getting home to you. To be with you. Forever."

Hope got to her feet. They led her to the window when her knees stopped functioning and she dropped to the floor. "Nooooo-nooooo-nooooo," Hope cried, tears filling her eyes. She felt her thoughts become a dark, cloudy mess. She couldn't see anything. Feel anything.

"I'm so sorry," Sandy muttered.

Hope continued to shake her head. "He can't be dead. He isn't gone. He can't be gone. He promised me. He promised me that we would get married and have a family." Everything felt like it was coming apart. Nothing made sense anymore.

"Sandy, honey. Breakfast is ready," Bonnie called and Hope could hear Bonnie's footsteps coming closer to the door.

Not being able to move, Hope waited for the door to open and for Bonnie to ask what was going on.

The doorknob began to turn and then Hope felt her body being dragged, a hand covering her mouth as something tugged her underneath Sandy's bed.

Freddy's eyes burned into Hope's as he pressed his hand over her mouth and shook his head for her to be silent. They laid there as the door opened and Bonnie came in. "Hey, baby." Bonnie's voice was full of false cheer. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"No. Not really," Sandy's reply.

"You know this isn't you fault." Bonnie.

"I know, Mom. But I just got back. And now those assholes took Fan."

"We don't talk that way under this roof. Even if that is what those people are."

There was a sigh which Hope figured was Sandy. "You've got to go to school." That would be Bonnie.

"Can't you call me in sick? Just for today."

"We don't want anyone to become suspicious. It's not fair. But that's how it is right now. Just think of it as being part of the school play until you get home. Then you can do and act however you want to."

Another sigh. Then footsteps. "Let's go downstairs. Your brothers are driving your dad nuts. And your dad hasn't seen your face all summer."

"Okay. I'll be down in a minute."

The door closed and then Sandy looked under the bed. "She's gone," she told them.

Nodding, Hope pushed Freddy's hand off her mouth. "Your mom is right. We need to go to school." She crawled from under the bed and then marched over to the window.

"Hope?" Sandy called.

Hope stood with her back to the younger witch. "Yes?"

"You're going to help us find Fan, right?" Sandy sounded hopeful and Hope's mouth curled at the corner in a smirk much like her father's.

"Sure. Why not?" Hope replied lightly. She threw herself head-long out the window before doing a somersault and landing on her feet. At that moment, she did not care if someone saw her. All she cared about was the feeling of a stone growing around her heart.

"Hope." Freddy caught up with her as she rounded the side of the house. "Are you okay?"

Hope turned and offered Freddy a wide smile. "My last hope that I can bring my boyfriend back from an un-ending torment just disappeared; so, yeah, I'm great." Whirling on her heel, Hope stalked back toward the street. She felt like walking to school.

"You don't seem okay." Freddy fell into step with Hope on the sidewalk. "And this is not the time to be making risky behavioral decisions."

"Freddy, I am fine." Hope said. She turned to place both hands on Freddy's shoulders. "I have a plan of how to deal with all of this pain."

Freddy looked unsure. "Which is?"

"I'm going to go back to being Hope Mikaelson: Typical Human Teenager. How would most girls my age deal with losing a boyfriend because he seemed to have ditched them?" Hope's eyes glittered as she watched Freddy wait for her to finish her thought. "By becoming the life of the party. And so party we shall. Tonight. Your place. Your mom is still out-of-town?"

Freddy nodded. "Good. Be my date tonight?" Hope asked him, lacing her hands behind his head and tilting her head to the side, watching Freddy inhale.

"Sure…" Freddy nodded quickly. "Just to make sure you don't do anything you'll regret in the morning." He looked nervous as Hope began to dance, swaying her hips and watching him follow her rhythm.

"Don't kill my mood tonight," Hope said, leaning forward to whisper in his ear. "No one needs that kind of vibe." She could feel Freddy reacting to how close she was to him. Yup. Hope planned on drowning all of her pain and suffering tonight and every night until her last. Because she would have a whole lot of nights to get through without Jake. And she would do whatever she had to, to stop thinking about him.

Taking Freddy's hand, Hope felt better as she tugged him down the street. Who cares about the stupid jerks who wanted to kill her, her family and all of her friends? Who cared if the whole world burned? Not Hope Mikaelson, she would be dancing to the very end.

_Freddy_

All day Freddy kept one eye on Hope. She seemed like she used to be, back when she was still dating Todd Donovan and she was head of the cheerleading squad. Her head bounced as she walked down the hallways of the school. A wide smile was plastered on her face. Freddy could see how her old friends seemed to be lost in a cloud of happiness: Their leader had returned to the fold. This was one of the worst days of the year to Freddy.

Scowling during lunch, Freddy caught sight of Sam Salvatore. Freddy's eyes widened. He understood why Bonnie Bennett-Gilbert insisted that her daughter go to school today, but what the hell was Sammy doing here with Fanny being tortured by some goons?

Artemis Gerard came into the room. Her eyes scanned the room before she caught sight of Sam. Sam looked hopeful. His hand went up when Temis made her way over to the table the cheerleaders liked to take up. She offered them a wide smile and one of the girls pulled out a chair. When Temis took it, Freddy felt like he'd walked into a nightmare world.

Would Todd waltz into the room and be hailed as a hero for returning from the dead? Inhaling, Freddy stared at the main entrance. When Todd did not come in, Freddy relaxed a fraction. That would be too much. To bury a friend and then find out they weren't dead—human dead—Freddy wouldn't be able to deal.

Theo Gerard came into the room. His eyes moved around the room. He caught sight of Hope. She was holding court with some of the boys who used to hover within her orbit. Continuing to look around, Theo seemed confused when he saw his sister with the cheerleaders before he saw Sam. Sam hadn't seen Theo. He was digging into the bottom of a Jell-O cup like he wanted to murder it. Moving forward, Theo stopped by Sam's table before he took a seat.

Feeling relieved that someone had gone to spend time with Sam, leaving Freddy's biggest problem being Hope, who had just gotten up to leave the room and walked past Freddy like he wasn't there. What the hell?

Growling under his breath, Freddy shot to his feet and left his tray on the table. He wasn't about to take the time to dump it if it meant Hope was going to ditch him to do something stupid.

On the way down the hall, Freddy turned a corner and felt a hand catch his collar. "Hey there," Hope said, tugging Freddy close. She shoved a piece of paper in his face. "What do you think?" she asked him.

"What is it?" Freddy looked at the blank piece of paper.

"Come." Hope let go of him and turned her back. Holding up a hand, she wiggled a finger over her shoulder, indicating that he should follow her. They went into an empty classroom. Hope turned to stare at Freddy, a little smirk on her face.

Glancing down at the piece of paper in his hands, Freddy found he could now read the secret message: PARTY LIKE IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD. WHERE? LOCKWOOD'S! LOVE, HOPE There was a kissing face emoji at the bottom of the paper and a fireworks display.

"Nice. Why not just use magic while you're at it?" Freddy demanded, shoving the invite at Hope. "And who the hell did you invite?"

"Freddy Lockwood, when did you not want to party?" Hope cried, her eyes rounding.

"Since you lost your mind!" Freddy snapped.

Hope chuckled. "Whatev. Anyway, the invite went out to everyone. Lockers are stuffed with them. But only the ones smart enough to crack the code will come." She winked at him. "See you then."

Freddy exhaled, feeling his body slump. This would be a long night.

~0~

Music pulsed so hard that Freddy wondered why none of his neighbors had called the police on the party yet. Maybe Hope had created a spell so that only the people within the house could hear the music. He could see her doing something like that. Taking stupid risks. He a lifted cup of beer to his lips and then groaned. He could not drink tonight. He had to stay focused. Unlike some people.

"You've had enough," Freddy snapped, stalking over to Sam Salvatore who was on his fifth beer.

Sam gave Freddy a dark look. "It helps me not want to rip someone's throat out."

Remembering that Sam was a vamp now, Freddy decided to let it slide. "Fine. One more. Then I'm cutting you off."

"Fine. Dad," Sam muttered before he began to glug the beer down. He crushed the cup and then tossed it over his shoulder.

"You lose your manners along with your Hey-I'm-A-Human?" Freddy inquired, shaking his head at the crushed cup. It was a good thing his mother wasn't supposed to come tonight.

Sam shrugged. "Temis dumped me."

"What?" Freddy felt confused. "But you're, like, one of those annoying couples who are together until one of them dies." He shook his head.

"What's this party about, anyway?" Sam asked, glancing at Freddy through hooded eyelids.

"Ask Hope," Freddy said. And as if she heard him, there was the feedback of static from a microphone that made both Freddy and Sam wince before Hope's voice filled the room.

"Hey, everyone! Are you enjoying the party?" Hope called out. Freddy spotted her. She had a wide smile on her lips. "You might want to know what the occasion is?" She offered her audience a smile. "This is a wake? What are we burying?" She pouted at the crowd. "The death of my last relationship!" she shouted. "Hope freakin' Mikaelson is back on the market, boys and girls!" She dropped the mic and then she was twirling around in a circle beaming at everyone who looked back at her which was almost everyone in the room.

"Um? What does that mean?" Sam inquired, looking at Freddy.

Freddy shook his head. "Means your cousin isn't a prob anymore, man." He placed a heavy hand on Sam's shoulder while Sam still looked confused. He'd get it in the morning. "I've got a girl to rescue from herself."

Moving across the room, Freddy watched as some human tried to chat Hope up. "Excuse me," Freddy said.

The human turned to glare. "Wait your turn."

"I don't think so," Freddy snapped. He took hold of the boy's shirt and moved him out of the way.

Hope let out a laugh, placing her hands over her mouth as her head tilted back. Even in her current state, she was still the most beautiful girl Freddy ever saw. "Do it again!" Hope cried, her eyes wide.

"No." Freddy snapped. He grabbed her hand and startled to haul her out of the room.

"Come on, Fred! I said I wanted to party! Now, we're going to party!" Hope shouted. She tugged Freddy back. Throwing both her arms around him, she leaned in close. "Dance with me." Her arms encircled his neck and someone put on a slow song.

Freddy willed himself to behave. His arms went around her waist. If dancing with her would keep Hope out of trouble; then he'd just have to dance with her all night long. Feeling Hope place her cheek on his shoulder; Freddy felt his heart pounding. He knew she could hear it. Why did this have to be the time she chose to act like this with him? Why couldn't she have chosen to do this before Todd?

Eyes going to Sam, Freddy watched Sam push himself out of the chair he'd been sitting in and go back to the kitchen. Hopefully the baby vamp would not make anyone into a snack.

Closing his eyes, Freddy inhaled the scent of Hope's new shampoo. Honey. She smelled like honey and rainwater. She smelled like newly blooming flowers. Pressing his nose into her bare shoulder, Freddy inhaled deeply. She smelled like the woods. The fresh grass. Pulling back, Freddy looked into Hope's eyes. She stared back at him.

"Come with me," Freddy muttered. He had no idea what he was doing. He just knew he needed to get her out of there.

"Where are we going?" Hope asked him with a quiet laugh.

"Out of here," Freddy said. He led her to the coat closet. Grabbing a jacket that would engulf her but not knowing who the owner was, Freddy slipped it over her shoulders. Taking hold of her hand, he led her to the back of the house and then out into the darkness.

"Seriously, Freddy, where are we going?" Hope cried out as Freddy moved forward.

"We're going to the woods," Freddy replied.

"You want to shift?" Hope said. She started to take the jacket off.

"No. We're not shifting. Not tonight. You said you wanted to be like normal, human teenagers." Freddy glanced at her over his shoulder.

Hope nodded, a little smile on her face. They continued walking until they had just entered the wooded area near Freddy's house. There was a reason his mother chose this house, of all the others they looked at. When you had a werewolf for a son; you had to think practically.

Hope paused when Freddy let go of her hand. "Okay? Now what?" She glanced around.

Pulling out his phone, Freddy scrolled through a playlist and then came to a song that Hope always used to dance to before she met Jacob Salvatore. "You remember this?" he asked, turning up the volume.

Hope's eye lit up. "I haven't heard this one in years," she cried, laughing as Freddy set the phone down and held out his hands. She took them and they began to bounce to the music. Freddy felt like he was fifteen and hopelessly in love with his dream girl who already had a boyfriend who was a total jackass. But tonight, tonight Freddy got to dance with the girl and imagine, just for a moment that she could be his.

The music stopped and Hope was still smiling. "Thanks, Freddy."

"You're welcome," Freddy said.

Hope picked up the phone and began to scroll through the songs. "Wow! We've been into a lot of the same music for years…" Pausing, her eyes lifted to meet his. "Freddy?" She became serious for a moment. "You weren't into all of these songs, were you?"

"I told you, Hope, I love you. I'll always be in love with you," Freddy swore. He felt his heart pounding so loudly in his chest. How could she not hear that?

"Yeah?" Hope looked down at the phone again. After a moment, she set it down. "Forever?" she asked him, her wide eyes meeting his.

"Forever," Freddy replied. He watched as Hope came closer to him. He thought he must be dreaming as her hands came up to either side of his face. Her lips parted and her finger slid into his hair as she tugged his face to hers.

Inhaling, Freddy felt like he might actually die of happiness as his hands moved to the back of her dress. His fingers pressed her body to his. His mouth opened and he felt her tongue begin to dance lightly in his mouth as he lifted her off her feet. Her legs came around his waist and he fell backwards.

"Would you let me turn you?" Hope demanded as her hot fingertips moved under his shirt and he sat up and allowed her to jerk it off.

"Turn me?" Freddy inhaled, drawing the zipper of her dress down. "Would it mean we could be together? Forever?"

"Yes." Hope nodded her head, hands down on his pants. "Yes. Yes. Forever. I'd be yours. Forever."

"Promise?" Freddy moaned.

"Yes." Freddy muttered as he pulled back. Hope offered him a big smile. Her fangs came out and Freddy inhaled sharply as her mouth came down to his throat and he felt her sink her fangs into him. Tomorrow. Everything would be different.

**Thank you for reading, faving, reblogging and reviewing. :)**

**Answers to Guest reviews:**

**Emma Salvatore: Thank you reviewing Chs. 9-10! I can't say what will happen, but it might be long journey home. I can say that Fanny will find she's is not alone, even when she feels like she is...**

**Peace,**

**-J**


	13. Chapter 13

**Trigger warning for mentions of attempted suicide and attempted sexual assault. **

**Hello, my lovely readers. Flashbacks, fantasies and other ways to deny to reality are featured here. On with the show…**

Chapter 12: Tomorrow. Everything Will be Different.

_Jacob_

Standing at the top of The Quarry—the same spot that the older generation used to call The Falls—Jacob Salvatore lifted his arms to either side of him. A slow smile lifted the corners of his mouth. Inhaling, he let out a quiet laugh before he raced forward and allowed gravity to do its job. For a moment, Jacob could feel himself flying. Then gravity took hold of him and he was plummeting, head first, eyes still closed until… Ears pricking the drowning, pounding urgency of the water coming down, Jacob stared at the dark waters coming up to meet him as he flew downward to greet them…

Sinking slow, slow, slow… and then gazing upward to the sun's light reflecting off the water's surface, Jacob chased the beams of the sun until his head burst through the light. Gasping, Jacob shook his soaking wet head.

The sound of a light laugh from behind him made Jacob whirl around. His eyes searched the water. Nothing. Ducking underneath the pooling liquid around him, Jacob's eyes darted back and forth. Nothing. Breaking the surface, once more, Jacob swam to land and pushed himself to stand on the grass. "Who's there?" he demanded, placing his hands on his hips. He used his vampire-sight to peer into every nook and cranny. Nothing. A whole world of nothing.

Then the light laugh broke out, again, and Jacob found it was moving away from him. With a tiny smirk, Jacob took off at a run. His feet took him across the area. He continued to hear the laughter, ringing in his ears like an almost forgotten piece of music. It was a half-remembered sound. His heart pounded in his chest as Jacob Salvatore tore past trees and over rocks and he found himself in the replica of the woods so near the Salvatore School.

The laughter came from behind a tree. "Whoever you are. This isn't funny!" Jacob called out. He sped around the tree and caught the girl, who meant to run away from him, again.

Hope grinned up at him. "Hi, Jake," she cried. An amused expression was on her face and Jacob felt like he was in hell or heaven, if such places actually existed. Her hands lifted to cup his face. "I missed you. So much."

"Hope?" Jacob's hand went up to take her hand. He moved it to his lips, pressing a tender kiss to her wrist. "How are you here?" His eyes trailed over her face. He thought he'd never see her smile again. Never hear her laugh. Never tell her he loved her, ever again.

"Well, I'm here now." Hope's free hand curled around the back of Jacob's neck. He felt his predator come forth. His eyes darkened, his body tightened as she pulled his mouth to her neck. "You must be so hungry. Drink me," she moaned.

Nodding, Jacob bent his head to her throat. She was right. He'd had so little to eat. And he tore into her flesh as gently as he could. Her arms wound around his neck. Jerking her up, Jacob pressed her into the tree. She cried out as he eased her up the tree. He felt her hands in his hair he drank her blood.

Jacob forced himself to stop drinking. "I want to be with you," he moaned.

Hope nodded. "I want you, too!" she cried out, her hands going to the bottom of his shirt. She jerked it over his head and Jacob groaned as her mouth went to his chest, running over his skin. His hands undid her shirt's buttons, his fingers slid her bra off. The sight of her naked flesh made him unable to control himself as he jerked her pants down.

They cried out as he pressed her into the tree and their eyes met. "We're going to go home, Jake," Hope promised him, nodding as they moved. "Both of us."

Jacob's eyes flipped open and he gasped. Water. So much water in his lungs. Drowning. Again. He found himself forced to rise to the surface. His arms slapped at the water as he pushed himself back to land. Dragging himself over the grass, Jacob's lungs purged themselves of the water he'd swallowed after dropping from the top of The Quarry. He rolled onto his back and stared at the fading sunlight. Tears filled his eyes.

Hope. Every day, Jacob climbed to the top of The Quarry and he flew. Just like Fanny once did when Jacob threw her thinking she would enjoy what it would be like to fly. She almost died. Closing his eyes, Jacob chastised himself for his folly, once again. He'd made a colossal mistake. Elena and Damon and Sam had every right to hate him. Stefanie. He'd hurt little Stefanie. She was his family. She was a child. She'd trusted him. He'd taken something from her. He'd taken part of her childhood, her innocence, her ability to trust in people and creatures and it was not until he had all this time to himself that it all weighed down on him. Stupid. Stupid mistake.

And Sam. Trying to make Sam into a vampire. Against the boy's will. Jacob felt more tears spill. All he'd ever wanted was for them to love him. And all he'd done was to show them a monster. Perhaps Sandra and Josette were correct. Perhaps this is exactly the type of place that he belonged. A place where he could no longer hurt them or their loved ones.

But Hope… Hope called to him. Just like she had that night she attempted to take her own life. Searching his long memory, Jacob returned to that night on the beach.

_Hope's long hair blew in the breeze as she made her way toward the rippling current. The expression on her face. A sheer force of will. Tears glittered at the corners of her eyes but her mouth was set. Her fists were balled. Her feet moved. One. Two. Three. And then she was striding forward. Her entire body aimed itself toward those rollicking, untrustworthy waves. Jacob watched as she made her way into the water's current._

_Tilting his head to the side, Jacob wondered what the girl was thinking as she plunged forward, as if she were intent on swimming back to wherever she'd come from. Her strong arms propelled her forward and Jacob watched as she went further and further outward. Her body moving further and further away from him and the safety of the beach. And then a wave came down upon her._

_Jacob watched. No signs of a head bobbing to the surface. No signs of a fight. No scream for help. Nothing. Just a quiet night._

_Getting to his feet, not sure why he felt the urge to go looking for a human, Jacob found himself striding into the merciless waves. He dove under. Once. Twice. And then she was in his arms._

_Making his way back to the beach, Jacob turned her over his knee and pounded her back until she emitted water. Picking her up, he watched her dazed eyes go over his face as he carried her back to the hotel. He carried her to a room and then set her on her feet. He rifled through her bag and then found a card._

_Before the girl could thank him, Jacob took off._

_The next day, Jacob watched the girl walking behind her family. Her sisters arguing with each other. Her parents seemingly content, unaware of the loss they might have suffered last night. Jacob saw the girl peering around her. Looking for him? With a smile, he turned and disappeared._

Jacob laid on his back and thought about how much he wanted that girl back in his arms. She was the only reason he ever left the boarding house. His only solace. His only hope in the darkness.

_Jos_

Waking up, Jos felt groggy. Her eyes moved around the room and then she remembered where she was. A cell. A cell to which she would return that night with little chance of returning to her family. Death. That seemed to be the only thing this place might offer her at the end of her stay.

A bell dinged, again. That's what woke her up. Jos flipped her legs over the side of the so-called bed. She wondered if most prisons offered such luxurious accommodations. A lumpy mat for a mattress on an iron frame which she felt every time she moved. No pillow. She planned on giving them Zero stars on whichever app you used for places like this. The thought made her smirk before that annoying bell went off again.

"Come on, guys, can you stop ringing that damned thing?" Jos demanded, placing her hands over her ears.

"Sorry. Don't like your wake up call. I'll alert the front desk," Townsend called into the cell.

"Oh, good. It's you," Jos snapped. She folded her arms over her chest.

Townsend grinned back at her. "Not happy to see me. Breaks my heart, precious. Now, why don't you get up," he called as the door opened. "You get to go for a walk."

"It's too early for my physical," Jos retorted as she got up. "I just had one last week." She forced herself to make her way to the cell doorway. She knew he was not above shooting her up with vervain and then slapping some cuffs on her before dragging her down the hallway to whatever torture this place could come up with this time. She'd seen him do it to other prisoners here.

"Aren't ya hungry?" Townsend asked. "'Cause, ya get to eat with your kind today." He shot her another grin that made her skin crawl. She stepped outside the cell to see others also lining up.

For the first time, Jos got to stand three feet to the left of Penelope Park. Penelope shot Jos a quick smirk before turning her face to stare at the empty cell across from her. "You know the drill. No biting. No magic. No talking back. Now, march." Townsend's words made Jos grit her teeth. Obviously he thought he was back at boot camp. She would love to turn around and show him what she thought of his "No biting rule," but she also knew he would punish someone else for her behavior. He enjoyed it.

"Move it along, Park!" Townsend shouted, right behind Jos. Not being able to help herself, Jos jerked at the noise. This elicited a chuckle from Townsend. He moved closer to her. His breath was on the back of her neck. "Got a problem, Saltzman?" he inquired, his breath now tickling her ear.

"No," Jos muttered.

Townsend moved in front of her. He leaned down and pressed his face so close to hers she could see the angry red bloodshot veins of his eyes without her vamp-sight. "I can't hear you!" he shouted in her face. Spittle sprayed her cheeks and nose. She stopped herself from gagging. "Repeat that, Saltzman!"

"No, sir!" Jos shouted back. She forced herself to make eye contact.

Townsend nodded and grinned back at her. Reaching inside his pocket, he pulled out a tissue that might have been used. Lifting his hand, he drew it over her cheeks and nose. Slowing his movements, he drew it over her mouth, running his thumb over her lower lip. "Sorry, darling,' I think I got something on your face," he muttered as he continued to press his thumb over her lip, trying to push his thumb into her mouth but she refused him. She didn't care what he did. He would not do that.

With a little snort of possible amusement, possible disgust, Townsend pocketed the tissue and moved out of Jos' way. "Keep going, Saltzman." Jos saw the look on Penelope's face before the other girl ducked her head. She knew. They all must know, Jos thought as she caught others staring at her before they continued.

At the end of the hall, they took a left, down another, shorted hall and then they began to file through a door. One at a time. As if the men who kept them there feared too many of them going through, or coming out. Control. Everything about this place was about control. "Go in!" Townsend told her. "Nothin's gonna bite you. Get in." He pushed her with the end of a tranq gun and Jos made her way inside.

Inside the large room, Jos saw tables. Rows and rows of tables. Just like a high school cafeteria. It felt ironic. Her eyes went to the left. Others were going in that direction. "Come on." Penelope. She made her way over to Jos. "We can't touch or they'll shoot one of us. But we can talk in here."

Jos nodded and followed Penelope toward the line. "Thanks," she muttered.

Penelope shrugged. "We're all new at some time."

"What's up with the high school scene?" Jos asked, eyes darting around the room.

"Just something to make us believe that humans are still humane," Penelope replied with a quick smile. "Never believe any show of kindness. They're all monsters. All of them."

Jos kept her mouth shut. She already knew what Penelope told her. However, hearing someone give voice to her fears made Jos' stomach tighten. Her eyes went upward and she could see humans. They stood behind a glass barrier. Wondering what the barrier was made of, Jos found someone behind her. "Move it, new girl," a dark haired girl snarled. "I don't have time for your gawking at the sights and sounds. Some of us are hungry."

"Shut up, Alyssa," Penelope snapped.

Alyssa narrowed her eyes at Penelope before she folded her arms over her chest.

Moving up to where lunch was being served, Jos stared at the machine that was offering up what looked like packets for astronauts. "What is this?" Jos asked Penelope. Watching others push buttons that plopped packets onto trays; Jos felt confused.

"It's what they consider food," Penelope replied. "Better than nothing. But not really." She rolled her eyes before she stopped before a screen and tapped it. Her fingers went over the pad and Jos frowned at the numbers that went in.

Peering at the pad, Jos looked to Penelope. "It's your number," Penelope told her. Lifting her hand, Penelope pointed at the number stitched into her maroon jumpsuit.

Jos glanced down at her number and then tapped it in. A packet plopped out onto the tray she slid underneath it, from the rack of trays which still held far too many empty trays for comfort. "Hmmm." Cocking her head to the side, Jos tried to think of what might be in the packet. Pizza? A Bar-B-Q-ed rat? Nothing?

Penelope led the way to a table. "Hello," she called to the small group. "Miss me?" She seemed to relax by a fraction. She took a seat next to a boy with a pretty smile.

"What's up, Pen?" the boy asked. His eyes lifted and he shot Jos a grin. "New girl?"

"New girl," another boy said. He nodded his blonde curls at her before returning to his own packet. It looked like he might have scored a blood bag. Or red Kool-Aid. Blood was never that thin.

"Jo Saltzman, this is your new crew," Penelope announced, throwing an arm around the boy next to her. "This is Milton Greasley."

"Hey now!" he cried, frowning.

"Sorry, MG." Penelope shot Jos a quick, mischievous grin. "And to your left is Roman Sienna."

"Hey!" Roman said, nodding again before he returned to sucking his Kool-blood.

Jos nodded at the males in the group. She took a seat across from them. "So…" she had no idea what to say as she opened her packet. Inside, she found what might be a hamburger.

MG's eyebrows rose and he glanced at Penelope. Penelope shook her head. "Well, someone made a good impression." She opened her own packet and poured out something that might once have been potato chips but now looked like they'd been soaked in water and left around for six months. "Unlike some of us."

"You can have this," Jos said, pushing her tray toward Penelope.

"You can't," MG cried, pushing the tray back like Jos had tried to give Penelope poison. He shook his head before leaning in. "Never. Ever. Let them see you do anything for anyone. Ever." His smile was gone and there was a look on his face that made Jos' stomach turn.

Picking up the hamburger, Jos wished she had some salt. It tasted dry but she thought it might not have been thoroughly cooked. And it tasted fresh. She tasted a minor amount of blood. It made her attack the burger. She had no idea how much she needed this.

Because of her hunger, Jos did not notice anyone coming toward them until Townsend slammed a baton on the table. Her head jerked to the side. Leaning over the table, Townsend grinned at her. "Taste good, honey?" he asked her.

Jos swallowed thickly. Her eyes went down to the last bite of burger. "I suppose?"

"You suppose?" Townsend mocked her. "What do you think, Milton? Did it look like she enjoyed that?" Townsend moved to lean in next to, MG. Placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, Townsend grinned at MG who looked like he might lose it. "I can't hear you, son, speak up, will ya?"

"Yes, sir," MG spoke loud enough for the other side of the lunchroom to hear him.

"Good man," Townsend pounded MG on the back with the flat of his hand, causing MG to jerk with each blow. "Finish up quick. We don't have time to play."

"What's going on?" Jos found herself asking.

Townsend rounded the table and pressed his cheek to hers. "That's for me to know, Sweet cheeks, and for you to dot, dot, dot…" He patted her face and Jos stopped herself from growling.

~0~

Within the next half hour, Jos found herself walking into the sunlight for the first time since she'd arrived. Penelope was nowhere in sight. Jos looked at the guards, wanting to ask what was going on but they said nothing as she was forced to what looked like a school bus.

Soon they were moving. MG, Roman and Penelope were not on her bus. Jos wondered if she would see them again. Her eyes went wide as she saw the Welcome to Mystic Falls sign. They were leaving the city. They were leaving her family. They were leaving her home. Her eyes went back to the road and she wrapped her arms around herself and felt very, very alone.

_Sandy_

Pacing the length of her bedroom, she felt like she could not escape it. It was a ridiculous feeling. Of course she could come and go as she wished. Unlike Jos. Her feet led her to her bed. She sat down and grabbed the elephant that Freddy Lockwood had fondled earlier in the day. She felt hot tears burning her cheeks. The night of the fair…

_Jos tossed her blonde locks off her shoulder and shot Sandy a quick wink. "Which one do you want?" she'd asked, tightening her hold on the baseball._

_Sandy bit her lower lip. Her dark eyes moved over the prizes. A unicorn. Not since she was five. A stuffed goat. She could give it to Rob as a gag gift. No, Jos would be pissed if she won something for her girl who re-gifted it to her little brother._

_"The elephant," Sandy shrugged. She liked it. It looked happy and she could use more happy. Everyone could use more happy._

_Jos eyed the elephant with a smirk. "Not the unicorn?"_

_"I'm not into unicorns," Sandy replied._

_"You mean, you're not into anything with a horn?" Jos inquired, holding up her pinkie finger and wiggling it around. She let out a laugh when Sandy blushed. "Okay. Okay. I'm gonna get my girl an elephant, sir," she told the man who was running the stall._

_"Good for you, kid." The man seemed disinterested as Jos swung and the ball flew through the air. It smacked into its target and Jos let out a whoop as the man had to take the elephant down. He held it out to Sandy. "Don't let her take all my prizes, kid." He winked at Sandy before tilting his head in Jos' direction._

_"I won't. Come on, Jos, let's go ride the merry-go-round," Sandy suggested._

_"Why don't we wait until we're done here," Jos replied. Sandy opened her mouth to protest Jos' desire to rob the man of all his prizes when Jos' arms wrapped around Sandy's waist and magic tingled between the two as their mouths met. Inhaling, Sandy slid her hands into Jos' blonde hair and she tasted the peppermint of her girlfriend's gum as Jos' hand wandered to Sandy's rear._

_"Enough," Sandy cried. She was excited and so-very-happy that she might cause something to explode._

_"Okay." Jos took Sandy's hand and tugged her along. "We ride that ride. And then I ride…" Jos' eyes slid over Sandy who felt her cheeks burn. Leaning over, Sandy pressed her nose to Jos.'_

_"I love you, Jo," Sandy muttered, easing her lips back to Jos.' If she accidentally set off a firecracker, so be it. She was sixteen and in love. She never thought she'd feel happier than in that moment._

Sandy wiped hot tears off her cheeks and she stared at the elephant who had begun to look as though it had seen better days. Feeling weird, she slid her hand up the back of the poor elephant's behind where it had a pocket to store things. What had the makers of this toy been thinking?

Rolling her eyes, Sandy pulled out the ascendant. She took a long look at it. Her eyes were still burning as she thought of Jos, stuck in that horrible place, not knowing if they'd be able to get her home and Sandy inhaled.

It was true when Sandy told Hope Jacob was stuck on the Prison World. However, Sandy did not tell the older girl that she held the key to getting him out. Maybe. After Sandy came back, she felt like her powers were weak. It felt like she'd taken so much to get them home that she'd lost some of them. Maybe a lot of them. She could barely find the strength to levitate a pencil. And, yes, she could ask for help. But she didn't want to risk someone else being dragged off.

If Sandy were honest with herself, she would admit that she wanted to be caught. She wanted to be taken, like the others, and to find Jos. She wanted to be the one to help bring her girl home. It was the most selfish impulse she'd had in a long time. And she did not give a damn what anyone thought about it.

Inhaling, Sandy got up and slipped the ascendant into a bag. She walked over to her bedroom door and pulled it open. Going downstairs, she found her mom sitting on the couch with her dad. They were watching a movie from when they were young.

"Hey, you!" Jeremy called, waving Sandy over. "What's up with the bag?" he asked, like he was a cop.

Sandy shrugged. "I thought I could go over to Li's. Hope's having a party and I thought I'd see if Li wanted to go. If not, we can just hang."

"Oh?" Bonnie's brow furrowed. Then she smiled. "You need a ride?"

"No. I'm good. I'll text you when I get there," Sandy hitched her bag and prayed her parents would let her go.

"Okay." Bonnie nodded. She walked Sandy to the door. "Be careful." She took hold of the sides of Sandy's jacket and leaned forward to kiss her only daughter on the forehead.

"Bye, Mom," Sandy replied, hoping this would not be the last time she uttered that phrase.

~0~

Sitting cross-legged in the woods, Sandy took a knife of her dad's out of her bag and cut her hand. She allowed blood to drip over the ascendant as she began to chant. Looking at the shooting star above her head, Sandy hoped this worked as she continued to chant.

Nothing seemed to be happening, so Sandy put all of her fears and her grief into her magic. "Listen to me," she cried out. Her words came out faster and faster and she could feel a magic welling within her and then…

Sandy found herself standing in a clearing in the Prison World. "Jacob!" she shouted. "Jake! Jake, can you hear me!" She spun around slowly. She did not want to have to track him down. But she would, if she had to.

Suddenly a hand shot out of the darkness. "Sandra," Jake's voice in her ear. "Come to fetch me home?"

"Yeah. Yes!" Sandy nodded.

"Right then," Jake nodded and she began to chant and he bit into her hand. She barely felt the pain as her blood dripped. And then…

"Are we back?" Jacob exclaimed.

"I think so," Sandy looked around. "Hope's having a party. At Freddy's." She knew where she would be, if she could be… And that would be with the person she loved the most.

"Thank you," Jacob cried, kissing Sandy's forehead before he took off.

Sandy groaned and she ran after Jacob. She might be an Olympic-fast runner but she had nothing on a vamp. She ran as quickly as she could toward Freddy Lockwood's place. It wasn't too far away. Just a little bit.

Sandy stopped by Freddy's and found the party had already ended if the darkened windows were any indication. But he liked to hang in the nearby woods. She headed back there. "Jake?" she called out.

Nothing. Sandy continued onward until she caught sight of Jake's back. He was so very still. Sandy came to stand beside him. "Jake?" He did not look at her. His eyes were on something. Turning to look, Sandy inhaled at the sight of Hope lying next to a naked Freddy.

"Don't tell her I saw," Jake muttered before he turned away and then he disappeared.

Sandy glanced back at Hope who was still asleep. Her bare back rising and falling with each new breath. Sandy felt her stomach clench again. Turning away, Sandy followed her instinct to find Jake. He shouldn't be alone right now. He'd been alone too much already. Neither of them should be alone today.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello, my lovely readers. Damon is haunted and someone finds out one of his most guarded secrets. On with the show…**

Chapter 13: What Happened at The Quarry?

_Damon_

Blinking slowly, Damon Salvatore tried to calculate how long it would take before he snapped. Two more hours? Five? When did he last sleep? Had it been a full twenty-four hours since Hope Mikaelson entered his house and announced that his only daughter and unborn grandchild were missing? What should he do? How much more coffee was in the can? His fingers twitched as he tried to remember how to make a cup of black coffee and found himself staring at the machine like he'd not stood here day after day, making endless pots of coffee.

"Damon?" Elena came into the kitchen. She stood in the doorway. She, too, looked like she hadn't slept all night long. "Sam went to school?" she asked him.

Damon searched through his mind. A vague image of his remaining—no—his other child coming into the kitchen and speaking with a closed off expression came to mind. But it felt like Damon had to dig through quicksand to retrieve it. Sam. Did Damon ask Sam if he was okay? Stupid question.

Why was Damon's mind so full of stupid questions? He lifted his eyes to meet his wife's. She seemed to have lost focus, too. Her gaze had moved to the window. Had it been open all this time? Their heating bill would go up. Did anyone turn the heat on? Did they need to? Damon should have gone to work. He needed to call and make sure things were running without him.

Pulling out his phone, Damon stared at the screen. A picture of Fanny at ten, and Sam at barely eleven, was his screensaver. The image of his kids offering him big, cheesy grins, tugging their lips back from their teeth with their fingers and tilting their heads to the side always made him smile. Not today.

"Damon?" Elena now stood in front of him. She looked down and she inhaled sharply. Damon turned the screen away from her. He pressed it to his chest like she'd just seen a pic of some random, naked woman on his screen. Elena stepped away and placed her hands on the counter, her eyes on the top before she repeated herself: "Is Sam gone?"

"Yeah. He left early," Damon managed to say. "I need to call work. Make sure everything is covered."

"I already called." Elena re-focused on a spot in the lawn. "I should call the mowing company."

"Not today," Damon retorted. His tone came out sharper than he'd meant for it to.

Elena's head snapped up and she stared at him with those big, brown eyes that he'd never be able to live without waking up to. She stared at him as if he'd slapped her. "Okay," she muttered.

"Lena…" Damon began.

Shaking her head, Elena backed away as Damon reached for her. "No. It's okay. I'll call them. Later. In the week. Probably. I have to go. I have patients." She headed out of the kitchen.

Damon moved to follow her. All his thoughts told him to stop her. He even reached for the door when she opened it. He wanted to shut it before she could leave him. Leave the house. He needed her there. He needed to hold her. He needed her solid body pressed to his. He needed to strip her clothes off and to feel like they were both alive. That no matter what… No matter what… No matter what; they'd make it through this? No! That wasn't right. It couldn't be. Because then he might as well be saying that Stefanie was a lost cause. That his baby wouldn't come home and would never sleep in her own room, never argue with Sam, never ask Damon to bake some cookies, never listen to loud music with Sand, never walk down an aisle on her wedding day, never have her baby…

No. No. No! Damon shook his head. "I'll be home after six," Elena said. And then the door shut.

Damon blinked. He stared at the door. Sam. School. Lena. Work. Fan? Fan? Where?

Damon blinked and found himself standing in the doorway of his daughter's room. He walked over to pick up a teddy bear he got her when she was eight. Hot water stung his eyelids and Damon picked up the bear. He pressed it to his chest and laid down on the bed. "Where are you, baby girl?" he called out.

"She'd going to be okay," a voice replied.

Raising his head, Damon squinted at the doorway. Sure enough, Stefan stood there. He had his arms crossed over his chest. A small smile on his lips.

"Stef?" Damon sat up and kept the bear close by.

Stefan nodded. "Yup." He pushed away from the doorway and made his way over to stand beside the bed. "You know that Stefanie is smart. Too smart. And she'd resilient. She is Elena's daughter."

"Ha-ha," Damon rolled his eyes.

"She's stubborn and a fighter. Got that from both of you. But the stubborn part, that's a whole lot you, brother." Stefan's brows went up as Damon shook his head. "You'll get her back, Damon. Just don't do anything stupid. Elena and Sam still need you."

"Me? Stupid?" Damon waved Stefan off. "You know me. I'm Mr. Cool Head these days. I drive my kids to school in the Dad car. I packed lunches. I took care of sleepover duty. I even let the girls braid my hair."

"Once," Stefan added. "You let them braid your hair: once."

"Once was enough," Damon snapped. He flipped his legs over the side of the bed. "What do you suggest I do? Huh? Sit around and wait for the nice men who have been kidnapping everyone and their grandmother-the-three-headed-hellhound to send Fan back home? Is that what I'm supposed to do here, Stef? You think I'm not sitting here thinking about every freakin' movie I've seen when the nice men decide to experiment on my baby?"

"Damon, calm down!" Stefan advised. His eyes followed Damon as Damon began to pace. "You're getting into your head. You don't know what is happening to Fan."

"That's it!" Damon shouted, tossing the bear on the bed. "That's exactly it!" He held a finger in front of Stefan's nose, who did not budge an inch. Of course he did, Stefan was a ghost. He wasn't afraid of whatever crazy his big brother might get up to. "I don't know what they're doing to her. But you could…"

Stefan cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes at Damon. "Meaning…"

"Meaning: You can go in and tell me what they're doing to Fan! Stef! You're a ghost! Plus side here: You're already dead! They can't do anything to you!"

"Thanks for reminding me of that, Damon," Stefan rolled his eyes. "Problem here."

"What?" Damon demanded.

"They have witches. More than likely they're forcing them to use magic to keep spirits out of the facility. Don't you think they'd already have thought of the possibility of spying spirits?" Stefan said all of this like it was the most logical thing in the world and Damon wanted to strangle him.

Groaning, Damon fell back on the bed. Picking up a pillow, he pressed it to his face and screamed into it. "Come on, Stef. You need to help me. I need to know what they're doing to my baby."

"Damon, you know that there's only one way this ends," Stefan replied.

Damon nodded. "I get dead-er." He glanced at Stefan. "Won't be all that bad. You're there. Right?" He offered Stefan a weak smile.

"Sam. He's a vampire. He needs you, Damon," Stefan argued. Why did he always have to think things through? Why couldn't he be hot-headed, like Damon, in the after-life?

"Jacob's in the Prison World. He's all alone," Damon snapped.

Stefan nodded. His eyes went down to his feet. "I know."

"Doesn't that piss you off?" Damon demanded, sitting up and throwing the pillow aside. "Come on, Stef! I know you care about him!"

"I do." Stefan nodded. "But I can't save him."

Rolling his eyes, Damon shook his head. "But if you could…"

Stefan looked Damon in the eye. "If I could, I would die, all over again."

"See!" Damon shot to his feet. "See! That is what I'm talking about!" He patted Stefan on the shoulder and made his way out of Stefanie's room. Stefan was following Damon down the stairs, Damon could feel his little brother near him.

"What are you planning on doing, Damon?" Stefan called out. "Are you planning on trying to break into the facility and finding Fanny? All by yourself?"

"No. I plan on getting Ric to come with me. I'm not stupid," Damon shook his head at Stefan. "Don't wait up." Turning, Damon reached for the door and found that every time his fingers tried to move around the knob, they wouldn't close around it. "What the hell is going on?" Damon demanded.

"Maybe someone's trying to tell you this is a bad idea," Stefan retorted. "Can't say I'd blame them. You're only going to get hurt. What you need to do is sleep."

"Sleep?" Damon scoffed. "I don't have time to sleep. I need to find my daughter."

A sharp sound began to chime in the background and Damon groaned. "Who set the smoke alarm off?"

"Damon, you should just let it go," Stefan advised. He followed Damon as Damon tried to find the smoke detector which kept going off.

Damon shook his head. "It's really annoying." He went upstairs and found himself lying on Stefanie's bed. Looking back at his brother, Damon shook his head. "I'm asleep."

"You're pushing yourself too hard," Stefan replied. He followed Damon in, who stood over his own body. "You need to take care of yourself. I'm not around to help you anymore."

Damon turned to face Stefan. "It was nice to see you, again, Stef."

"I miss you, too, Damon." Stefan reached out and pulled Damon into a hug. Damon felt fairly certain that Stefan was just trying to keep him there.

"Good-bye, brother," Damon said, clapping Stefan on the back before he pulled away. Stepping over to his body, Damon stood over it and then he opened his mouth to yell: "Wake up!"

Jerking awake, Damon turned to find Fan's alarm clock blaring at him. No one thought to turn it off. Again, tears threatened to spill. Gritting his teeth, Damon pushed himself off the side of the bed. "Sorry, brother. But I have something I have to do. And I'm not going to argue." Marching out of the room, Damon made his way downstairs. He knew exactly who he needed to talk to.

~0~

Parking a few houses down, Damon decided to walk to the house he intended on visiting. He admired the flowers in one lawn and waved "Hello" to the mailman on his way.

Turning down the walkway, Damon kept his expression casual. Hell, he thought it might have looked better if he'd brought a plate of cookies. Too late now. Pausing at the door he rarely knocked on, Damon forced a smile as he hit the doorbell and waited to see who might answer. He could think of at least two people he would prefer did not.

It felt like a century before the door opened—and Damon knew exactly what a century felt like. His smile widened when the door swung open and a certain hybrid smirked at him. "Damon, to what do I owe the displeasure?" Klaus Mikaelson inquired.

"Thought we might chat. Got a minute?" Damon inclined his head toward the sidewalk.

Klaus peered outside as if he suspected that Damon had aligned himself with the paratroop-ing asshats who took his kid. "What is it that you want?"

"Be a good neighbor and act like you care. Or pretend to be human for the hell off it, Klaus." Damon watched Klaus shoot him a quick glare before the hybrid exited his home.

"Make it worth my time or I will remove your spleen," Klaus replied on their way toward the sidewalk.

"You've been where they have Fan. I want you to tell me where," Damon replied lightly, like they were discussing a school sport's event.

Klaus' brows rose. "You're planning something, aren't you?" He examined Damon's face. "Not that I blame you. However, you are placing your life at risk."

"I know that," Damon said.

Klaus shrugged. "Fine. I will draw you up a map and give you all the details I can. After that, you are on your own."

"Thanks," Damon replied and turned to head back toward his house.

"Damon," Klaus called after him. "Do tell Samuel that he is missed."

Damon turned to stare at Klaus but Klaus had already made his way back to his own front door and stepped inside. Damon felt like knocking on the door until the hybrid answered and demanding what that meant but Damon decided he could worry about his son's social life later. Right now, Damon need to risk his life and limb to unite his family. Or die trying.

_Elena_

Blurry. Elena Salvatore's eyes were blurry from lack of sleep. She'd woken up in the middle of the night to find that Damon was in the kitchen. She'd asked him what he was doing. It looked like he'd been trying to make coffee, but he hadn't replied. Deciding not to try to wake him while he slept-walked, Elena returned to bed. She laid there, staring at the ceiling and waited for morning.

Now, Elena stood in a room as her last patient giggled while her mother helped her off the bed. The four-year-old girl had chicken pox. Smiling at the child, Elena pulled out a piece of candy from her pocket. "Would you like a lollipop?" Elena inquired, grinning at the child.

"Yes, Dr. Salva-thor," the girl replied, taking the orange-flavored lollipop.

"Gina will set up the next check-up for you," Elena told the child's mother. She felt relieved to pass off the work to her nurse. Right now, she just needed to go home.

Rubbing at her eyes, Elena considered the idea of calling a taxi to bring her home. Not that Mystic Falls used many taxis or Ubers. Sighing, Elena left her office and locked the door. She waved good-bye to everyone she worked with without a word and made her way out of her office and toward her car. Home. Where her daughter would not be. Did she really want to be there?

~0~

Somehow Elena made her way home. Pulling out her key, she entered the house and perked up her ears for signs of life. Closing her eyes at the unwanted thought, Elena found she did not hear anything. "Damon? Sam?" she called out, going to the stairs.

"Hey, Mom!" Sam appeared and Elena slapped a hand over her heart. His vampirism still startled her when she was sleep-deprived. Jogging down the stairs, Sam leaned against the railing and a passed a hand through his dark blonde locks. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Elena replied. She tried to sound calmer than she was. Turning toward the kitchen, she made her way over to the fridge. "Did you eat yet?"

"Yup. Had a blood bag and a bag of popcorn," Sam told her, following her into the kitchen and leaning against the counter.

"Popcorn? That's not food, honey," Elena stood up and closed the door.

Sam shrugged. "I'm not that hungry." He stared at his feet.

Nodding, Elena looked around the room. She wondered where Damon was. "Is your dad home?"

"Nope." Sam shook his head. His hair fell in his eyes and Elena noted that he needed a haircut. "Think he went out before I came home. He wasn't here before."

"Oh?" Elena felt something cold climb up her spine. Folding her arms over her chest, Elena continued to watch her son. "Are you planning to go to Temis'?"

Sam shook his head. His ice blue eyes came up to meet Elena's. "Not tonight." He paused, frowning. "Freddy's having a party. Might stop by and check it out. If you don't mind…" He looked like he hoped Elena might tell him not to.

"Go ahead. Be safe," Elena said. She moved to press a kiss to Sam's forehead. She thought she might know what Damon was up to and she needed Sam to go before she went searching for his dad. He would want to help and she would not allow him to put himself at risk.

"You sure, Mom? I can stay. If you want company. 'Til Dad comes home." Sam watched Elena and she feared he might be aware of something being off, too.

"Sam Salvatore. I do not need a babysitter. If I want company, I'll call Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Jer," Elena said lightly. She even threw in a smile.

Sam rolled his eyes. "I can't believe my mom is talking me into going to a party. I must be the lamest high school-er ever!" he cried, shaking his head woefully. At times like this, he reminded her of Damon and she grinned at him.

"Be back before midnight," Elena added.

"Yes, Mother!" Sam moaned and he dragged his feet to the door before he left the house.

Counting to a thousand, Elena let herself out of the house and made her way to her car. She had somewhere to be.

~0~

Elena hit the doorbell twice before Klaus Mikaelson jerked the door open. "Elena, looking for Caroline?"

"You know who I'm looking for," Elena retorted. She pushed past Klaus and walked into the foyer. Folding her arms over her chest, she glared at the hybrid who had made her late teens a living hell. "Damon was here. Before. Yes?"

Klaus shrugged. "I suppose he might have been." His little knowing smirk made Elena ready to lose her temper.

"Where is he?" Elena snarled.

Klaus simply stared back at her. "Samuel is too young to lose both his parents. Now, if I were you, I would return home and wait for daybreak." He moved to open the door.

"Klaus, where is my husband!" Elena cried, her hands balling at her sides.

Turning back to Elena, Klaus looked vaguely amused until another voice called from upstairs. "Niklaus. She's calling for you." Then Rebekah came down and looked from Elena to Klaus. "Elena, to what do we owe the displeasure?"

"She's just leaving, Bekah, do me a favor and make sure she does." Klaus sped up the stairs.

"What's going on, Rebekah?" Elena could not help but peer up the stairs, wondering who "she" was.

"Nothing for you to fret about," Rebekah retorted. She opened the door and took hold of Elena's arm. "Don't make a scene. We wouldn't want our little friends to take us both, now, do we?"

"Rebekah, I think Damon went after Fan. And I think your brother told him how to find the facility. Just tell me where to find him. Please!" Elena watched Rebekah frown. "Please, Rebekah!" Elena felt like she might start screaming.

Rebekah sighed. "Fine. We're taking my car." Sighing in relief, Elena climbed into the passenger side of the car and hoped this did not end with a dead body as any trip with Rebekah seemed to end.

~0~

"I don't see him," Elena called as quietly as she could.

Rebekah snorted. They'd just arrived at the place in which Rebekah swore that a facility was located. "Looks as if they've moved." She stomped past an open gate.

Elena followed Rebekah inside. They moved toward a massive building. Sure enough, a door was open and no one seemed to even be trying to guard it. Rebekah went in first. Elena followed, her eyes darting up and from side to side. She saw nothing in the shadows.

"I'll be back in a moment. If I'm not back after you count to a hundred: Run!" Rebekah advised, shooting Elena a dark look before she sped off.

Elena felt a pit in her stomach. Still, she pushed herself to keep going. She walked further into the facility. She could see nothing to give anyone pause. It looked like there was an ordinary reception desk out front. But what kind of ordinary place would take children, of any kind? No. This was a lie. All of it.

Finally forcing herself to continue forward, Elena strode through the doors that Rebekah had gone through. She found an elevator that she did not intend on entering. But there were also stairs. She moved to the stairs and made her way upward. Trying a door at the top, she found it gave way without using the keypad to the left. Opening the door, Elena stepped onto a platform and looked downward. Cells. Many. Many. Many cells. Her heart began to hammer. Turning, she found an empty cell to her left. She walked to the next. Empty. Next one: empty, too.

Suddenly something whooshed in front of her and Elena screamed until the something slapped a hand over her mouth.

"What do you not understand about staying put?" Rebekah demanded, glowering. "You're as bad as you were as a teen?" Tossing her hair over her shoulder; Rebekah drew in a breath. "There's no one here. I'm sorry."

"What?" Elena shook her head. "He has to be here!"

"Well, he isn't," Rebekah snapped. Taking hold of Elena's arm, Rebekah dragged her through the door Elena used to come in. "This place gives me the creeps. We're leaving. Tomorrow, I'm coming back with a gallon of kerosene and a lighter."

"What if there's a clue to where they took everyone?" Elena cried, struggling to free herself.

"They're not that stupid, Elena." Rebekah let go of Elena as soon as they left the facility. Then her head cocked. "I stand corrected." She disappeared and Elena took off in the direction she thought Rebekah went in. "Never mind. It's just Damon," Rebekah called out. She had ahold of Damon by the shirt collar.

"Let me go!" Damon snarled, pulling out a gun.

"Damon!" Elena screamed. She thought she'd never have to see that thing after the night Damon accidently shot Hope Mikaelson, aiming for Jacob after Jake tried to turn Sam.

Rolling her eyes, Rebekah swatted the gun out of Damon's hand. "Don't be a fool," she snapped.

"Make him forget this. Make him forget his pain. Please!" Elena called to Rebekah.

Rebekah glanced back at Elena. "That will not end well." But she closed her eyes and Elena watched. "He's fighting me," she called out.

Waiting, hands cupping her elbows, Elena watched as Rebekah held onto Damon. Then Rebekah jerked back. Turning on Elena, Rebekah sped over and grabbed Elena by the shoulders. "He killed Hope?" she snarled, her fangs out.

"Rebekah, it was an accident. You must have seen what happened. He would never hurt Hope!" Elena cried as Rebekah's fingers dug into her shoulders and Elena felt certain Rebekah would tear her to pieces. "If you kill us, you'll never get the cure. You'll never be able to live a human life; if you get tired of being what you are."

"I can deal with that," Rebekah grinned at Elena in a threatening manner.

"What if Temis didn't want to? What if she could have a human life?" Elena cried out. "What if Sam turned back?"

Pausing, Rebekah's fingers eased off of Elena who inhaled and exhaled. "Please, don't tell Klaus."

"He'll find out. And then you'll have more to fear than the bloody idiots who run this place," Rebekah warned Elena. She turned and walked away.

Exhaling, Elena made her way over to Damon who looked confused. "Lena, where are we?"

"It's not important. We need to go home," Elena told him, helping him up and wincing at the feel of the bruises Rebekah left behind.

~0~

Damon still looked confused as he sat on their couch. "I was there for a reason, Lena. I know I was," he was saying when the doorbell rang.

Morning had come. Elena had been up all night, keeping an eye on Damon and making sure Sam came home safe. Now, their doorbell had begun to buzz. Followed by a fervent knock. Girl scouts? Elena thought with an eye roll. She thought not.

Making her way to the door, Elena opened it and her hand went to her mouth before she pealed it back. "Jacob?"

"Hi, Aunt Elena." Jacob looked wary. "May I come in?"

"Yes." Elena nodded and stepped aside. She could not believe he was back. "How did you get home?"

"Sandra. She brought me back…" Jacob's lips came up in a sad smile. "Are the others home?"

"Damon," Elena called.

Damon got up and stared. "Jake?"

"Hello," Jacob replied. He seemed shocked when Damon strode across the floor and jerked him into a hug. Elena leaned in from the side, pressing her face into Jacob's shoulder. She finally let out a loud sob. "Right. I suppose I should be sucked into a Prison World more often," Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around his family members.

Elena nodded. Now, if they could just find a way to bring Fan home, their family would be whole.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello, my lovely readers. I wrote this chapter and then my computer died and ate it. Sorry for the wait. On with the show…**

Ch. 14: Join the Club, or Die Trying

_Maria_

On a Friday morning, two hours after her husband, the honorable Mayor Donovan, left for work; Maria Donovan heard the doorbell chime. It rang, twice, before leaving behind an eerie silence in its wake. Frowning, Maria tied the belt of her robe and got up from the breakfast bar. When the bell tolled, she had been drinking an espresso and perusing the New York Times on her ThinkPad. As soon as Maria left the room, the ThinkPad went into sleep mode and the kitchen lights dimmed while the hall lights lit her way to the front door. The security camera panned to the left of the door, letting her know that no one stood outside. She ran a finger over the control screen and the camera tilted downward. No one, but something, had arrived.

Opening the door, Mafia looked down the sidewalk and at the driveway. No one could be seen spying on her. She leaned down and plucked up a cream-colored envelope. Donovan was scrawled across the front. Chest tightening, Maria scowled at the envelope. This was the type of invite that the Mikaelsons sent out, regularly-before the existence of vampires had been revealed. It looked like they were no longer concerned with who burned up in their five-hundred count sheets.

Maria returned to the kitchen. She had every intention of tearing the invite to shreds and then running it through the garbage disposal; when she hesitated. Perhaps, she should go to their little party and find a way of exposing one of them to the men who had been cleaning the town up.

With a smile, Mafia drew a red-painted nail across the flap and removed the invite. Her brows rose at the sight of the message on the card:

_Greetings Mayor and Mayoress,_

_Please, join us, tonight for dinner, drinks, and a life changing opportunity._

_Sincerely,_

_M. Greasely_

Raising an eyebrow, Maria wondered who this M. Greasely was. She did not recall meeting anyone with that name, and Maria made it a point to know the names of anyone who held any kind of power in this tiny town.

Turning the card over, Maria did not find a clue to the new mystery. She sniffed the card, and did not find a cologne, or detect anything, other than fine stationary. Yes, whoever this M. Greasely was, they spared no expense on their invites.

Maria set the card down. Re-taking her seat at the breakfast bar, she picked up her cooling espresso and took a long sip. Narrowing her eyes, she continued to stare at the invite until a light bulb went off and she smiled. Maybe she did know who M. Greasely was, not personally, but she was beginning to become a fan of their work.

Patting the card, Maria made a decision...

That night, Maria stood in her bedroom, adjusting her earrings and waited for the mayor to return home. She pursed her lips at her reflection. "Mr. Mayor is home," a voice in the wall informed her.

"Thank you," Maria said. She picked up the end of her red gown and left the room, continuing down the hall and arriving at the top of the stairs.

Matt stood at the bottom of the stairs, loosening his tie, and his briefcase sat by his feet. When he caught sight of his wife, his eyes rounded and he began to grin. "Maria, you look stunning." With a spring in his step, Matt bounded up the stairs and stopped before his wife. He took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Let me take a quick shower and make a call. I'm sure someone can fit us in for last-minute reservations."

Tilting her head, Maria offered Matt a demure smile, "Come," she said, with a little wave of her hand.

Tugging his tie off, Matt followed her down the stairs and into the kitchen. When she turned to face him, Maria could see an "I don't get it" expression on Matt's face. "This!" she tapped a finger on the invite, "Is our reservation!"

A shadow passed over Matt's face. He moved closer to the breakfast bar. Instead of picking up the invite, Matt glance at Maria, "Who gave this to you?"

"No one," Maria replied, lightly.

Finally, Matt picked it up and his blues eyes scanned the contents. "You want to go to dinner hosted by a man you've never met before?" His brows went up as he turned to look at Maria.

"Yes. Since you obviously have met him." Maria watched Matt close his eyes, briefly, before reopening them. "You've been in the office too long. The former sheriff would have not let a detail like that slip easily," Maria chided him, placing a hand on his arm.

"You're my wife. I'm supposed to tell you things," Matt replied.

"But you did not tell me about this man," Maria shot back.

"I don't trust him," Matt said.

"Oh? Well, all the more reason we should go to the dinner. See what he wants from us. See who else is being recruited for this little cloak-and-dagger club." Maria grinned up at Matt. "Use your training, Donovan, you've grown rusty."

Rolling his eyes, Matt leaned down and kissed his wife on the lips. "I'm going to clean up."

"Be quick. I laid out you suit and polished your shoes," Maria called, and, again, her eyes went to the invite.

Less than an hour later, Maria and Matt left their house. They were headed toward their car when a man in a black suit approached them. "Mr. Mayor. Mrs. Mayor. The man tipped his hat. "Please, follow me."

Maria and Matt looked at each other before locking hands and following the newcomer to an unmarked black Lincoln Town Car. The man opened a door in the back and Maria slid inside. There was one else in the vehicle. Matt slid in beside Maria and frowned as the door closed and locked behind him.

Once the driver was behind the wheel, he turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the drive. For a moment, Maria wondered if this was a good idea, but she soon pushed her doubts into a silent corner of her mind.

Arriving at a large, non-descript building, surrounded by nothing but a massive parking lot, their driver pulled over. They were outside of the town limits and Matt no longer had any real sway. That did not make Maria happy.

This time their driver did not get out. Someone new came to open the back door. Matt got out and helped Maria. "Hello, Mayor Donovan

Mrs. Donovan. Please, turn around," the new male commanded.

"What?" Matt shook his head. ""No way."

The newcomer shrugged. "Mr. Greasely will be disappointed." He waved a hand and moved to open the door to the Town Car.

"No!" Maria held up a hand and turned around. She felt a cloth come down and over her head. "This is a safety protocol," their escort informed her.

Matt grumbled something Maria did not catch because a pair of earphones were placed over her ears. Matt took her hand and Maria followed him forward. At some point they went down what might be a hallway before getting onto an elevator. She only knew this last part because of the tiny jerks elevators make when put into motion and the feeling of being pulled upward.

After what felt like an hour, the earphones and hood were removed from her head. Maria found that she, and Matt, were in a room, surrounded by other well-dressed people as waitstaff went by with trays of hors d'oeuvres and glasses of champagne.

Maria had little time to enjoy the sights and sounds of their little spare-no-expense get together before a man of about fifty came to join them.

"Matt, I'm pleased to see that you could join us," he said with a nod and then turned to Maria. "And this must be Mrs. Donovan."

"Yes, I am." Maria smiled widely. "You are M. Greasely?"

"Please, call me Martin," he replied with a chuckle, shaking her hand. "You have no idea how happy I am that you could both make it." He waved a hand and a waiter came toward them, holding out a tray. Martin plucked up two champagne flutes and handed each of them to the Donovans. Martin took one for himself and the waiter left to mix in with the other guests.

"Thank you." Maria raised the flute and took a sip before speaking, "Tell us, why, exactly, are we here?"

Letting out a surprised laugh, Martin looked from Matt to Maria, "I thought our beloved mayor would have already told you..."

Without skipping a beat, Maria took hold of Matt's arm but her eyes never left their host's. "He did. But I love to hear a story, from the source."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Donovan, I have a speech prepared for all of our new members, and you don't want to miss it." Martin smiled and Maria smiled back. "I'll be hanging on your every word," Maria replied and Martin laughed, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Let me introduce you to some of your fellow -" Martin began to say, suddenly stopping mid-sentence. His relaxed posture stiffened and his smile froze, making him appear like a figure in a wax museum.

"Hello there, folks!" Their surprise guest called out. He held out both arms, like he was receiving old friends at his own home. Striding over, he held out a hand to Matt who looked confused but offered his own hand. "Mr. Mayor, it is so good to see that you decided to join the team."

Before Matt could reply the man turned to stare at Maria. His eyes traveled over her face and body as if he was assessing her value. Maria was used to people staring at her and she did not flinch from this man's gaze. She knew a number of ways to kill him before he could blink. One of these ways involved the champagne flute she lifted to her lips and took a slow sip from maintaining eye contact with the stranger.

A slow smile made the corners of his lips curl. He cocked his head to the side. "You're not from around here, are you, Mrs. Mayor?"

"No." Maria shook her head.

"Me either," the man leaned closer, as if he wished to confide in her. "I think you and I came from around the same place." He eyed her, again, and then smiled at the other men. "You're a lucky man. Mr. Mayor, great beauty, like this," he let out a low whistle, aimed at Maria, "they don't make many women like her."

"They?" Martin's brows came together. "Townsend, I believe you might be missed by now." The frown accompanying the comment could not make things clearer.

However, Townsend seemed to be made of a stubborn nature and reminded Maria of a bull who needed castration. He grabbed a glass of champagne off a passing tray before Turning back to the group. "Nah," he took a gulp of champagne before continuing, "the boys have it covered for my five minutes." Thought I'd come up and mix and mingle with the newbies." For a moment, his attention moved to the other people before he set his sights back on Maria. "Although you seem to be hogging the best company around, Greasely."

Martin's fingers tightened around his flute to the point that Maria felt shocked it did not shatter. "Yes. Well. As good as they are at their jobs, I'm sure that is out of their venue; your team might find themselves in a situation..."

Townsend chuckled. Placing his hand on Martin's back, he shook his head. "This man," he paused, to contain his mirth, "he is just too damned polite to tell me to 'Leave!'" Still shaking his head, Townsend held up his hands, "I'm going back down, sir, to make sure the boys aren't playing poker and that our friends aren't playing another game..." Again, Townsend paused and a large smile appeared on his face at the word "friends." His eyes gleamed with a coldness that felt like an icicle being stabbed through your heart. Without another word, Townsend turned and sauntered off. He stopped long enough to collect a handful of hors d'oeuvres from a passing tray and to salute the guests and then disappeared.

Cupping her elbows, Maria came to a conclusion: Townsend was a volatile and uncontrollable man who would take whatever he desired and did not fear reprisal. He would be murdered, one day, most likely slowly, and painfully. In the meantime, he could be a useful tool.

"I do apologize for Townsend. He's a good soldier. But he fears little, which is his folly." Martin sounded bitter about keeping Townsend around.

"He's a tool. To be used and discarded when he is no longer of use," Maria stated and Matt gave her a long look. He did not approve of her opinions on some subjects. He had not seen the things she had seen or had to survive in the same manner.

Martin coughed. "Yes, Townsend is a tool, as you so artfully put it. And although he does not seem to understand, or appreciate it, God has seen fit to place him on a righteous path. A path that will help us to cleanse the world of the darkness that has plagued us for so, very long." Pausing in his speech, Martin seemed troubled, "Townsend's greatest flaw is that he believes himself to be a master of his own destiny. He does not understand that it is God's will that he should so much as take a breath. The man will not be humbled; this is what worries me..."

"You're a man of God?" Maria asked, out of curiosity.

"Yes," Martin said with a nod. "I was once a preacher. Then my only son was taken from me. From there something new was born inside of me. God showed me my true path, but I will speak more on the matter, later."

Feeling a tug in her chest, Maria placed a hand on Martin's arm. "We, too, lost our only son. The pain... It is not something to wish on anyone." Except for those who were responsible for Todd's death. For them, she wished the fiery pits of hell.

Martin placed his hand over Maria's. "Take heart, Maria, Todd is in the loving arms of our Lord while we attempt to honor his loss by fighting the darkness that took him too soon." Martian bowed his head and Maria did as well.

"Now, please, forgive me, but we must begin dinner." Patting her hand, the former holy man left Maria. But she did not feel alone as she looked around. She felt surrounded by those who would help her to put an end to her enemies. For that reason she did not have to think about joining this group. She was theirs. And might use her as they wished.

_Li_

Another Day at the human high school. Another day that went by without her sister by her side. Jerking at the fraying edges of Jo's long-sleeved shirt, Li Saltzman watched her old friends giggling about something. Their ponytails bobbed and boys tried to look up their pleated uniform skirts. How could Li have ever cared so much about such a stupid activity? Jos was right to have ditched her pom poms; cheerleading led nowhere. Turning to her locker, Li twirled the combination lock and then opened the door.

Coming face-to-face with her recent past, Li groaned and peeled the smiling faces off the inside of the door. She could no longer bear to look at herself and her ex, Theo Gerard. Taking the pic, she bent down to unzip her bag and to stuff the unwanted memento into the bottom when she caught sight of a three-dimensional Theo. He was staring at her, and began to make his six foot plus frame ease through the milling crowd of students. It would only be a matter of time before Theo made it past those who impeded his way.

Looking around, Li spotted a pocket of air. Slamming her locker shut, she zipped her bag and then darted into the empty space.

"Li! Baby! Eliz-a-beth!" Theo's cries were swallowed up by the overlapping voices of their fellow Mystic Falls High Schoolers.

Li kept moving until she made it to her classroom. Thankfully, Temis Gerard did not take this one. However, Li and Temis did have other classes together. And Temis might try to way lay Li, on Theo's behalf. Then there was the problem of lunch. Li was not a senior. She could not leave campus, to avoid Theo. She could sit lunch out and hide in the bathroom, but she did not want company, and, no doubt, someone else would come in, like Hope.

Rolling her eyes, Li found the glowing, red exit sign. Could she actually ditch? What if the school called her parents? They would freak-having visions of their remaining daughter being carted off to an unmarked van... Damn.

Still trying to settle on what to do to escape her problems, Li jumped when someone spoke to her: "Hi." Turning, Li found Sandra Bennett-Gilbert by her side. Li already had forgotten about her twin's ex having escaped the Prison World.

"Sandy! S***! You scared me!" Li let out a light laugh and then frowned. "Shouldn't you be at home, or in a thousand years' worth of therapy?"

Shaking her curls, Sandy pushed her purple frames up her nose. "Nope. I could not take another hour of being at home." Glancing at the open door, Sandy inclined her head. "Are you going in?"

Sighing, Li nodded. "I guess." But her feet did not lead her inside the classroom. Instead, she toed the linoleum.

"Are you okay?" Sandy closed her eyes and seemed to bite back a curse; so not Sandy-style. Li felt her lips curl into a smirk. "I mean-not okay-the sun is shining and I'm gonna dance my blues away-but you're not-I'm about to blow a fuse and light this place up, Carrie-at-the-prom-style. Laughing, Li shook her head. "I'm not Jos -"

"I know," Sandy's reply came out quick, and sharp, like a switchblade popping out and dug just as deep. "Sorry. I didn't mean-I meant -"

Li held up her hands, "Sand, breathe. I know what you meant." Li could cover up how much it hurt and cry later.

Inhaling, Sandy's cheeks puffed outward and Li felt, for five seconds, like a normal girl, having a normally awkward moment. Then the bell rang. "Time to go," Sandy said, going into the classroom.

At the end of the school day, Li left with Sandy. They had eaten lunch together, sneaking into an empty classroom. Being with Sandy was the closest Li felt to being with Jos since her sister was taken.

"Want to hang out tonight?" Sandy asked. "We could work in spells. Or listen to music... Or whatever you want to do...?"

Li paused, looking at the street. Sandy's was probably the last place Theo would think to look for Li at. "Sure. I just have to go home, so my folks know I haven't been 'napped, too." She rolled her eyes and kicked the sidewalk.

As if on cue, Hope appeared. "Hey, you! Need a ride?" The older girl tossed an arm around Li's shoulders.

"Yup." Li rolled her eyes at Sandy.

"Bye, Sand," Hope called, tugging Li toward the parking lot. Whatever Hope said on the way home, Li hoped it was not important. She was too busy looking out the passenger side window. The sooner they got home, the sooner Li could make an excuse to Caroline and head over to Sandy's.

"Do you think I should talk to him? I have no idea what to say. I was caught up in the moment. He was saying all the right things. And I needed to hear them. And I do love him. But..." Hope pulled into the driveway. "What do you think I should do?" Turning large eyes on Li; Hope looked so expectant, and guilty.

Staring at Hope, Li felt panicked. If she admitted she had not been listening to Hope's volcano of dialogue; she was a bad sister. There was only one thing Li knew to do in this kind of situation.

Turning to Hope, Li gave her big sister a level look. "As someone who spent the whole day avoiding their ex, I would say I am the last person to offer advice on dealing with anything. You're sensible-most of the time-do what your heart tells you to do." See, Li never had to admit to anything. She gave herself a pat on the back.

"Thanks." Hope nodded. "I just needed to confess to someone." Leaning over, she hugged Li.

"You're welcome." Li patted Hope on the back before they both got out of car and went into the house.

They found Caroline in the kitchen. Caroline leaned against the kitchen counter, writing a list that could be that week's groceries, or possible locations where Jo was being held. "Hi, girls," Caroline called. "How was school?"

"Okay," Li replied.

"Fine." Hope added, heading down the hallway.

Li went to the counter and leaned her elbows against it. "Mom?"

"Yes?" Caroline eyed her list with intent. Could still be groceries.

"Can I go to Sandy's?" Li watched Caroline look up, eyes wide.

Caroline turned to Li, "Of course. How is she?" Caroline gave her remaining twin her full attention.

"Okay." Li shrugged. "You know. She was in a Prison World. And Jos -" Li shook her head. "So, we're gonna go hang," she said with painstaking cheer.

"That sounds good. For both of you. Caroline brushed Li's curls behind her shoulder. "Call me, if you decide you want to stay over. 'Kay?"

"Will do." Li shouldered her bag and headed down that hallway and out the door. Once outside, Li felt calmer. Being around her family reminded her that Jos was out there, somewhere, and Li couldn't be there, too.

Walking down the sidewalk, Li kept an eye out for unmarked black vans. She didn't see any. Thankfully. And she was about to turn a corner when she saw a familiar - looking male. A very familiar-looking male. Her whole body tensed up. It couldn't be him. He'd run off, like a coward, the day that Jos had been taken. And now... Now, he was walking around-in broad daylight, like nothing happened. Son of a bitch. Li stalked forward, with the intention of biting James Mikaelson's head off when she noted a redhead by his side.

Not only had James breezed back into town-he had the nerve to bring some ginger sank with him. Oh, yes, Li was going to kick his ass, vampire, or not.

Following them down the sidewalk, Li caught up to them near the Salvatores'. "James freakin' Mikaelson!" Li waited and James turned to face her. "What the hell are you doing here?" she snarled, stomping over to them and glaring up at him.

James did not seem perturbed by her greeting. "Elizabeth, I've returned to save Josette."

Opening her mouth, to yell at him, it dawned on her what he'd just said: "You what?"

"I've come back to bring Jos home." James stated back at Li.

Li blinked. "Come again?"

"We're here to help," the ginger added with a chipper smile.

Now, Li had something to focus on. She folded her arms over her chest. "If yiu're here to help Jos; why did you bring your new girl?" Or is this going to be some kind of a thrumple thing?" She waved a finger between the two.

"Paige and I are not together." James stated.

"Oh, so does that mean Paige isn't a present for Jos?" Li looked Paige over. She did read geek and that was one of Jos' types.

Paige shrugged. "I haven't dated a girl, but, as a demon, I'm not prone to address the physical appearance of my partner -"

"Paige!" James snapped. "We are on a mission. Remember?"

"Right," Paige nodded. "Sorry."

James turned back to Li. "I'm going to recruit Sam."

Puzzled, Li stared at James. "Sam Salvatore? Sam who trips over his own feet? Sam who is probably studying for SATs, right now, Sam?"

Yes, Sam was with Artemis Gerard which made other people, who did not know him, think he was cool. And he was a vampire now. And Fanny had been abducted by the bad guys. So...

"Yes. You're right. We should go ask Sam for help." Li led the way up to the front door. She hit the doorbell, but no one answered the door. Guess no one's home," she said. She was about to mention Sandy when James held up hand.

"Someone is in there," James told them.

The door swung open and Li let out a scream. She wondered why she did not hear herself scream at the same moment that she found herself staring into the mythically dreamy eyes of one Jacob freakin' Salvatore. "Where in the hell do all of you keep coming from?" Li demanded and Jake dropped his hand.

James came inside and closed the door behind Paige. "I came for Sam, but I might have done one better. Hello, Jacob!"

"James." Jake moved away from Li and ran a hand through his hair. "Whatever you're up to; you count me out."

"What?" Li cried. She pushed herself away from the wall. All the anger she'd felt toward James, just a moment ago, found a new target: Jacob. "What do you mean: You won't help! Jos is gone, Jake! Now, I know, she wasn't the president of the Jacob Salvatore fan club but she's Hope's sister. You know, Hope, the great love of your eternal life! The girl you were willing to die for! Whose sister you ended up in a Prison World to protect? Well, said sister is in a real prison, right now! And, we, need you, to help us get her out!"

Jake took a seat and stared at his nails. "What phrase am I looking for here? Oh, I know: I. Don't. Care! I don't care about you! Or your entire blasted family! Do me a favor! Get the hell out of my house!"

Li looked at James who looked just as confused. "Jake -"

Jake refused to look before he said, "Ask Hope what she was doing the night I came home." Raising his head, his eyes burned into Li's.

Li wished she could remember what Hope had been trying to tell her. It must be why Jakes was so pissed. Shoulders drooping, she moved to go. But a sudden burst of inspiration stopped her. "Stefanie. The people who took Jos took Fan. If we found Jo; we'd find your cousin. You may not care about my family: What about your own?"

Jake got up and strode over to Li. She refused to be scared of him. "For Stefanie. Not for Hope," he agreed, holding out his hand.

Li nodded. This could work. They could bring Jos home. And Li felt herself smile for the first time since her sister had been taken. Hold on, Jos, we're coming.

**Sorry about the grammar and odd things. Trying to type on my phone is aghhhhhhhh!**

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Be safe,**

**-J**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello, my lovely readers. This chap is bit sad. On with the show...**

Chapter 15: What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted?

_Jacob_

Flashes of sparkling, laughing eyes. Soft skin under his fingertips. Long hair flowing over him as their hands link and their lips come together. Sitting in a chair, in his aunt's and uncle's home, Jacob Salvatore attempted to force the sharp, biting memories of his beloved Hope Mikaelson from his mind. But she haunted him. Toyed with him. Flitted through his mind, lovely, and utterly inaccessible. If only they'd stayed in their cabin in Europe. She would be in his arms. Her back would be pressed to his chest, his arms would keep her close, keep her safe from the world. But they came back. Why had they ever been so foolish as to return?

Abruptly, Jacob forced himself into a standing position. He made his way into the kitchen. Opening the door to the pantry, he turned to his right and pushed several jars of jam out of the way. With his open palm, Jacob hit the wooden wall and felt the secret panel—the one that Damon thought no one but Elena knew about, Reaching in, Jacob removed his prize.

Exiting the pantry, Jacob kicked the door shut and stalked over to the row of cabinets. He jerked a door open and withdrew a glass. His mission complete, Jacob returned to his chair and flopped down. He unscrewed the cap of his prize with one hand and poured out a healthy portion of tea-colored liquid. It burned his throat but made the images of the girl he longed for dissipate.

Winding long fingers around the neck of his prize, he grinned at it. "Thank you, Damon," he muttered with false cheer to the thirty-year - old bottle of bourbon.

Jacob sank into the confines of the seat, relaxing as the bourbon soaked into his brain. He began to smile, taking another, long sip when an image of Hope seeped in. And the wolf. The boys always begging for scraps, sniffing 'round the table for an ounce of affection.

And Jacob, fool that he was, never fearing that his beloved would offer the young wolf more than her good will. A token of friendship. Friendship did not look like lying astride another being...

A cry of rage escaped Jacob. He felt a scalding pain course through his hand. Peering down, he found that he'd crushed the glass that held his liquor. Glittering bits littered the carpet, along with glistening droplets of Jacob's blood. For a moment, he could only stare at the scene in wonder. His stomach told him it was time to feed.

At one time, Jacob would have sped out of his suburban nightmare and found a pretty girl to empty and discard. However, Jacob had found the world greatly changed since his confinement within the Prison World. Little men, with little weapons, marched about the streets of the once quiet Mystic Falls. They preyed upon his kind. And, a being such as Jacob would enjoy a good chase-ending in one less annoying solider-he'd made a promise to help save his cousin. Jacob Salvatore kept his promises.

With a sigh, Jacob found himself speeding upstairs and into the bathroom. He ripped open the medicine cabinet door and found a roll of gauze. He carefully removed bits of broken glass from his wound which kept trying to close and he had to keep reopening it to toss the bits into the wastebasket.

Unwinding the gauze with his teeth, Jacob heard sounds from downstairs. A key in the front lock. The quiet scrape of metal on metal. The door opening and closing. A bag thumping on the floor. This was followed by: "What in the hell? Jake!"

Jacob wound the gauze tight and secured it before haphazardly tossing the roll into the cabinet and shutting it. Speeding out of the bathroom, Jacob paused at the bottom of the stairs as a pair of icy blue eyes met his. "Sorry, Sam, forgot you'd be home so soon; otherwise I'd have invited you go the party."

Jacob smirked and leaned against the banister.

"Jake, I don't have time for your crap," Sam snapped, stomping out of the living room and into the kitchen. He opened the door to a closet and removed a broom and dustpan. "Mom and Dad have enough on their plate. Can't you hop a jet and go terrorize some people who aren't related to you. Try a warmer climate, with lots of sunshine, and witches who will hex your daylight ring."

Sam made his way past Jacob who followed his cousin around the house like a shadow. "Shit! Blood! Of course, there's blood. 'Cause you couldn't make an easy-to-clean mess, could you?" Sam groaned and his fans appeared. Jacob felt an idea coming on to help with his cousin's obviously hunger induced grouchiness.

Taking hold of Sam by the shoulders, Jacob waited until Sam made eye contact with a sullen look. "You're right, Samuel! Your parents need a break. And you and I need a proper feed. Let's kill two birds with one stone! We'll leave town, allow Damon and Elena to have a bit of a spa day and we'll hit a town and find some pretty little things to replenish ourselves with. We can stay for a couple of days."

Sam shook his head, turning to go back into the kitchen. "I can't leave. Temis and I broke up. And I need to be here-to get her back."

Freezing, Jacob realized his error. Sam's mood came from a rather more human experience: having your heart broken. Jacob could certainly relate to that. "Temis broke up with you?" He spoke slowly and carefully. He did not want to add to the misunderstandings.

"Yes -" Sam began.

"Did she cheat on you?" Jacob could not help himself.

"No. She triggered her wolf. The night Fan..." Sam shook his head and collected a sponge, soap and a plastic bag before moving to go back into the living room.

Jacob followed Sam. "That's perfect." He knelt across from Sam, watching Sam as the younger vampire looked up from collecting bits of glass and placing them inside the bag. "She'll have plenty of steam to blow off as well." He stopped himself from adding, "Hope did when she turned."

Narrowing his eyes, Sam shook his head. "She doesn't want me to be any part of it."

The old Jake would have suggested they snatch Artemis up and take her along anyhow. She would thank them once she found herself having the time of her life-sans anyone who would tell her the proper way to behave. The new Jake-the post-Hope Jake, felt that Sam needed a bit of male bonding. "Forget about her then. Oh, Sam, you have no idea how many young ladies populate this planet. And they will drool over a boy like you. You are, after all, blessed with the Salvatore charm and looks. We'll find you a nice little distraction."

Continuing to shake his head, Sam said, "I don't want a distraction; I want Temis!" He tossed the sponge at Jacob. "This is your mess. Clean up after yourself. For once." The baby vampire moved to pick up his bag.

"Where are you going?" Jacob cried.

"Sand probably has a spell she wants to try out on a willing victim. Or Theo needs someone to talk to. I just can't be here. Not while Fan is out there," Sam opened the front door and gestured outside.

Finding himself alone, again, Jacob decided to take Sam's advice. First, he would clean up the mess he'd made in this living room, and then he would hunt down the wolf, and give him something to howl about.

Speeding through the end of the clean-up, Jacob treated himself to the rest of the bottle of bourbon and danced around the room with the broom in his arms. His mind came alive with images of young Freddy Lockwood's heart still pumping in Jacob's hand. It would be poetic; after all, the boy was instrumental in tearing Jacob's heart out.

The only problem with Jacob's plan was he was still weak. Given his family's state as humans-discounting Sam's current status-they did not keep bags of human blood lying about. To fight a werewolf, Jacob needed to be at his full strength.

For a moment, Jacob pondered the positivity of calling Elizabeth Saltzman and asking her to donate. If he were to take a tad too much, he would no longer be obliged to help her free Josette. A sudden smirk played at the corners of his mouth. He wondered how Jos was enjoying prison? Speaking of poetic justice...

Then an image of Sandra Bennett-Gilbert flashed through his conscious mind. Although they were unlikely allies in the Prison World, Jacob had grown fond of the girl. She was resilient, and funny. She had also kept her promise and freed him. In spite of words she might have used to describe her relationship with Josette Saltzman; it was clear to Jacob that Sandra would love Josette until her dying breath. To honor Sandra, he would be instrumental in freeing her lover.

In order to achieve that end, he would need to press pause on his revenge fantasies. Fredrick Lockwood had, unknowingly, received a delayed sentence. That did not mean Jacob did not intend on punishing Freddy. The boy's time would come.

Jacob peered at the window in the Salvatore living room. He would need to be patient, wait for the sun to set before he could hunt. But he needed to feed. Soon.

Taking a seat, Jacob closed his eyes and envisioned his arms looped 'round a girl with flowing dark hair and a rapidly beating heart. Music played in the background, the only sound to drown out the bass guitar in the girl's heart, fighting to stop a depleting blood supply. A losing battle.

As the girl's body dropped to his feet, Jacob danced in ever widening circles, drunk on the life force he just stole. He felt like his old self. The version of him before he saw a sad girl on a beach one night. He licked his lips, ready for the second, and third course as he strode back to the party. He'd just met the next stranger, with an accent and they were just items on his menu.

Opening his eyes, Jacob felt his fangs were out. He was ready to hunt. He could sense the sun going down. Elena and Damon wouldn't be home for hours and they wouldn't miss him 'til morning.

_Hope_

Something felt off, all day. No attention no matter how hard Hope tried, she could not figure out what it was. It wasn't her resurrected grandmother dying, again, from whatever the psycho soldiers had done to her. No Li and Theo drama. Or Temis and Sam drama. Maybe it was the sense of guilt she felt everywhere she looked across the lunchroom and saw Fred shooting her longing looks, or all of the phone calls and messages he'd sent that she'd ignored. At some point, she would have to confront the pain and admit to Fred that she was in love with Jake. She would always be in love with Jacob Salvatore. And it did not matter that she would not see him again until she found herself at peace.

A girl passed by, a flyer in her hand that caught Hope's eye. Hope side-stepped into the girl's path and held out her hand. "May I?" Hope did not even have to compel the girl, the flyer met her palm and Hope scanned the contents. She committed the information to memory before handing the flyer back with a smile and a "Thanks!"

The girl smiled back, like Hope had gifted her a thousand dollars, and hurried over to her friends. "Hope Mikaelson talked to me!" she squealed, giddily.

"Freshman," Fred said, startling Hope. "Always looking for approval." He smirked at the girls and then turned his dark eyes on Hope.

"Freddy!" Hope sighed.

Fred looked her over. "No signs of injury. So, you're just avoiding me?" He shouldered his bag and shot her a crocked grin. "Let me guess: The sex was so bad you decided to become a nun. Or the sex was so good, you need a month to recover!"

Hope burst into laughter while her best friend watched her with an amused expression. Trying to calm down, she opened her mouth to reply, but he held up a hand to stop her.

"Look, we don't have to do the whole post-game breakdown. I just want to hang until you're ready to talk. And it looks like you found a party. So..."

"So, do you want to go to a party?" Hope felt excited by the idea of being able to return to some semblance of "normal" behavior. But she also felt trepidation: What if Fred changed his mind, and wanted to talk about their night together? She didn't feel ready to break his heart.

"You have to ask?" Fred offered a wolfish grin. "You know me, Mikaelson; I was born a party animal!" He bent his head back and let out a loud howl.

For a second, Hope felt afraid someone would whip out their cell and report the presence of a werewolf at the high school. Instead, other students stopped in the corridor to bend their own necks and let out howls. Someone called out: "Go, Timberwolves!" And Hope let out a howl of her own, meeting Fred's approving gaze and feeling free.

Music blasted from a boom box that sat precariously atop a broken table. Teens talked, danced, drank and ate snacks in small clusters over the expanse of the first floor of an abandoned building. Hope had driven them three towns over and almost got lost before they found Party Headquarters, just off a highway and halfway down a side road.

"I think they used to call these raves!" Fred shouted over the hip-hop in the background. Of course he didn't have to shout, but it definitely made them look more human, even if it made Hope's ears sore.

"Yeah?" Hope shouted back. "We should ask Ric!" She felt another pang when thinking of her former step-father and headmaster of her old school. She hadn't seen or tried to speak with him in too long. She needed to make time to stop by and say: "Hi."

Fred had disappeared while she was making plans. Now, he re-appeared with three cups balanced between his fingers. "Refreshments from your admirers." He inclined his head toward a girl and a boy their age or a tiny bit younger. Hope took two of the cups. She held them up toward the two with a nod and emptied them. She turned back to Fred and took the last one. "From me," he said. She knocked it back and then frowned at the taste of virgin fruit punch.

"Didn't want you to think I was trying to get you drunk." Fred grabbed a cup off a passing tray and gulped it down. "Besides, you're driving."

"O-kay." Hope nodded, trying not to think as a strobe light swept the room. Her admirers were still staring and Hope contemplated a bit of non-committal, flirty fun. "I'm going to go say 'Hi' to my fan club," she called to Fred, shooting him a quick smile.

"Don't forget me and get hitched in Vegas!" Fred called back. He took his next drink as a little blonde came to join him.

Hope laughed. Turning back, she found that her club had lost a member. Sauntering over, she smiled. "And here I thought I had a following," she teased the girl.

"You do. But Ethan had to get a drink. I'm Maya." The black-haired girl held out a hand to Hope.

"Hope." Hope said. She could smell the girl's perfume and a wave of blood lust overtook her.

"You want to go somewhere? To talk privately." Maya's flirty smirk and hooded eyes said she was looking for more than talking.

"Sure. Lead the way." Hope was about to let Maya take her hand when she saw a familiar set of shoulders. They were attached to a back, and hair she'd ran her hands over more times than she could count. "Jake?" she breathed, feeling like someone had hit her with a sledgehammer.

"Did you say something, sweetie?" Maya called, her brows rising.

"Um..." Hope felt confused.

"Hey! She came over!" Great! Now, it was a party of three, thanks to Ethan's return.

Hope looked from Maya, to Ethan, and then at the back of the man she felt a thousand percent certain was her boyfriend's. Jake was disappearing up a set of concrete steps and into the unknown darkness of the upper floor of the building.

Yes, Hope had had this dream. Many times. But she was never wide awake when she had it. And it never took place in a condemned building that probably used to be a mall.

Jake couldn't be back. Sandy told her he was gone, for good. This must be a case of mistaken identity. Or Jake had a doppelganger.

"Hope?" Maya's voice called to Hope who glanced back at the other girl. "Are you okay? 'Cause you look like you've seen a ghost." Maya let out a nervous chuckle.

Letting out a nervous chuckle of her own, Hope attempted to remain calm. "Not a ghost, so much as an old friend. Haven't seen him since spring. And we really need to catch up. Sorry."

Without another thought, Hope took off at a sprint. It took all of her self-control to pace herself-no need to use vamp speed-just because her dead lover popped up at a party! And no matter how drunk, or high, these kids seemed to be, any of them could expose her for what she truly was.

Hope barely caught sight of a guy-who-might-be-Jake as he slipped into a shadowy corridor. Up here soft music played, and a few, billowing candles led the way. Hope felt like she was on the set of an old horror movie or a 90's rock video. Her head whipped to the side at the sounds of giggles coming from what might have been a Cinnabon. When she narrowed her eyes and peered inside the room, she found two humans hooking up.

Inhaling, Hope smelled alcohol, pot, candle wax, and blood. Her eyes perked up at the sound of a slowing heartbeat and a sucking sound.

Hope darted down the hallway and into a room which was almost completely dark. She choked on a quip about "Not finding the softer side of Sears." All she could find herself focusing on was a single glass-less window which allowed moonlight to bathe the naked concrete. A whimper came from the darkest corner and Hope battled with her own inner predator. A low growl emitted from between her lips.

The whimper came out louder and then a sudden crack filled the air. A girl's body fell across the only source of light. Breathing in deeply, Hope's body shook with bloodlust as Jacob Salvatore stepped over the body and stared at her.

"Hello, Hope." Jacob looked like a dark angel in the light of the moon. His tone was casual, not what Hope wanted, or expected to hear. He swept a hand over his bloodied lips, no trace of a smile there. His next words felt like a slap in the face: "How was your summer?"

"_What_?" Hope's body continued to tremble as she stared in shock at Jake. This is the part in the story where he was supposed to sweep her into his arms and kiss her. Not ask her about her summer!

"How?" Hope worked to think of what to say. She could barely get the words out. "How are you here?" Her vision was blurring as she spoke. She wished to be as nonchalant as he was.

"I _thought_ there would be a parade. Fireworks, at the _very_ least." Jacob's sarcasm made Hope frown. He licked his fingers before continuing, his eyes pinning her to the spot. Then he was right in front of her, his fingers digging into her shoulders. "A happy, LOYAL fiancée awaiting my return." He let out a bitter laugh, dropping his hands. His head fell and he shook it. "Instead, I come home, and on the very night I go to seek out my best love... I find her. With another..." He let out another, bitter laugh and turned to stride over to the window.

"You came back...and you saw...me...and..." Hope's eyes widened as she re-created the scene in her mind with a dawning sense of horror. "How?"

"Sandra did not want to give you false hope. So, she led you to believe she could not bring me home. Perhaps I would have been better off if she had left me where I was..."

"Jake?" Hope moved forward. "I thought you were dead..." She stepped behind him and placed a trembling hand on his back. Tears ran down her cheeks and her voice came out in a croak. "I was so lonely, Jake. I needed you. But you were gone. And..."

"And..." Jake shook his head. "Let's not continue discussing this. For me, the subject is closed. I wish to discuss it no longer. You are free, Hope Mikaelson. Be with whom you wish to be."

Hope dropped her hand. "What would you have done?"

Jake sighed. "Waited. For a thousand years, or more, if that's what it took."

"Wolves aren't known for their patience!" Hope blurted, her voice coming out in a snarl. "We act on instinct..." The words were already out and she could not take them back. "I made a _mistake_," she added.

Jake turned to stare at her when someone downstairs shouted: "Stormtroopers!" They were here. Soon, she and Jake would be in back of an unmarked van; their future uncertain. She glanced over her shoulder, to make sure no one had come in and the turned back to find Jake was gone. She leaned over to catch sight of him racing off, into the night.

"Hope!" Fred came skidding into the room. His eyes fell on the body and then darted up to Hope. They did not have time to discuss the body in the room; he ran toward her, "Time to go!" he cried, looping an arm around her waist and throwing ten into the open air. They free fell toward the ground before landing in crouches. Straightening up, Hope found there was no sign that Jake had ever been there.

Fanny

There were two times of the day that Stefanie Salvatore looked forward to inside the walls of this prison: lunch and Light's Out. In spite of her fear of what the scientists in the upper levels of the building might be putting in the food, Fan found herself digging into whatever they served her. Her baby seemed to be insatiable. They set a tray before her and she would clear it within the first ten minutes. After Light's Out, she would lie on her back and tell her baby stories. The best stories involved being free, Todd being alive, and their being with all of their loved ones. One, big, happy family.

A beep and a buzz signaled the cell door opening. It must be morning, Fan thought, pushing herself into a sitting position. As time passed, it became harder to sit up with ease.

Fan ran her hands through her hair and waited for whoever was bringing her tray. With any luck, it would be anyone but Townsend. She hated him so much. In one of the tales she told the baby, it was her Father, Damon Salvatore, who came through the door. And her Mother, Elena would drive the get-away car over Townsend. They would release all of the prisoners and the Mikaelsons would throw a ball for Jos' and Fan's returns.

Instead, an unfamiliar man in a white coat came through the door. Fan thought she had met all the doctors who worked here when they came to take her blood and poke at her, trying to figure out what she was. She wished she had Jos' powers so she could melt their insides.

"Hello, Stefanie. I'm Dr. Clark. How are you felling today?" He offered her a smile and Fan stared back at him. "I brought you breakfast. Looks pretty good to me." Fan rolled her eyes. She could care less about what looked "good" to this stranger.

"My mom makes better." This was not true. Elena might be a good doctor, but chef, she was not. Damon, on the other hand...

Fan's stomach growled, just to be disagreeable. She shot it a dirty look. The baby was becoming restless and she couldn't blame the kid. Not like they got much to do around here, other than eat.

The problem with eating, today, was that Fan wanted something and she came from two very stubborn people. She could wait most people out, when she set her mind to it. So, she would not, willingly, take bite until she got what she wanted.

"You sound hungry," Dr. Clark tried another smile.

Shaking her head, Fan replied, "I want to eat with the others."

Dr. Clark's smile faltered. "Others?" The twinkle in his eyes had died while his tone remained light.

Fan got up and folded her arms over her chest. "I sit, in here, every day. You have a friend of mine, Josette Saltzman. I want to eat with her." Brows rising, Fan jutted her chin out like her Aunt Bonnie and held herself up to her full height which was still little more than five feet.

Dr. Clark shook his head. "Stefanie, you obviously believe I have more power than I really do -"

"Tell them I won't eat until I can see Jos." Fan moved to sit down.

A sigh made Fan pause. "Fine. I'll talk to my superiors. In the meantime," the sound of Dr. Clark's shoes on the floor was followed by his placing Fan's tray on her bed. "Eat," he ordered her with a lopsided grin that might be charming to her if he were eight years younger and not working for a team of certifiably, evil jackasses.

Fan went over to the bed and made a show of opening the mini Cheerios box and carton of whole milk. Pouring the milk over the oat-y cereal and opening her mouth. She placed the spoon inside and began to crunch, staring at Clark. She felt pretty sure she looked like a squirrel, pre-hibernation.

"Thank you," Dr. Clark said with a look of satisfaction. He turned to leave and Fan gulped her food down. She wasn't done with him.

"I want books, too!" Fan called to the doctor's retreating back. "And not kiddie lit. Or romance. I want real books. I like mysteries. And paleontology."

Dr. Clark turned to stare at Fan, a curious smile on his face, his eyes lighting up again. "I might be able to find a few of those. In my private collection." He nodded before exiting the cell. The door buzzed closed behind him. And she was reminded that she was nothing but a prisoner. And a lab rat. Tears pooled in her eyes and she sipped them away with her sleeve. She had to stay strong. Hell, maybe Clark would help her reunite with Jos. That was something, she thought, finishing her cereal and wishing there was more.

With a sigh, she set the tray aside and laid on her back. She wished for pancakes and bacon. He dad used to make whip cream smiley faces on them until she and Sam complained that they were too old. Now she would even wear footie PJs, if she could have her dad's pancakes.

Fan supposed to request pancakes. The worst they could do was tell her "No" and lock her in the basement, with rate who liked the taste of teenage flesh... Ugh!

The next day, Dr. Clark came to Fan's cell, bearing gifts. He carried a cardboard box with a meal tray on top. "I come bearing mysteries, as requested. Tomorrow, I will see what I can do about your Dino bone fixation." His eyes crinkled in the corners when he laughed and his warm brown eyes reminded Fan of Todd.

Fan opens the box. "Ruth Ware?"

"Yes. She was a popular British writer, a couple of years back. Or was it a decade? Sorry." Dr. Clark shook his head as he carried her tray over to her little table. "I don't get out much, not since I came to work here."

Making a mental note to probe into why, exactly, the good doctor came here; Fan chewed her bottom lip and read summaries. Then the smell of pancakes, bacon and eggs hit her nostrils. She whirled on her heel, her brown eyes widening at the sight of the food as Clark set the lid of the tray aside.

"You're a mind reader!" Fan cried, crossing the room and took a seat at her small table.

"Something like that." Clark gestured at the empty seat across from Fan. "May I?"

"Sure." Fan closed her mouth. Her mother taught her not to speak with her mouth full.

Dr. Clark took a seat. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay." No way was she going to snap at him about life a prisoner being total bullshit. Not when she was eating the best food she'd tasted in weeks, possibly a month. She had no idea how long she'd been here by now. "Can I eat with the others?" Fan took a sip of OJ and waited.

"We're not sure that's a good idea. Most of the creatures can be highly vol-"

"Not creatures. My friend, Jos. She won't hurt me." Fan shot Clark with a doe-eyed look that most men found charming. "And she won't let the others hurt me," she added softly.

"I'll try, again." Clark got up and left

Clark did not come back for the rest of the day. Her meals were delivered and she ate alone.

At the end of the day, Fan sat on the edge of her bed, her throat constricting. She gulped as sobs overwhelmed her. She'd never felt so alone in her entire life.

"Fan," a soft voice called in the darkness.

Fan blinked, instantly aware and wrapped her arms around her middle. What if one of the others escape? She had no specials powers to save herself and her baby. Where were the guards? The hallway was eerily silent. She swiped st her eyes and narrowed them, peering into the corners of her cell, like someone might already be in there. Vampires and wolves might be able to break through walls, but they couldn't pass through them.

"Who is it?" Fan demanded, getting up and sliding a book from under her pillow. It might suck as a weapon, but it was better than nothing.

"Don't be afraid, baby." Todd appeared and Fan felt the book fall to the floor. He stood outside her cell, unchanged from the last time she saw him. Only he didn't look like he'd been torn into by hungry supernaturals. He slid a key card and the door beeped. Todd stepped into the cell and Fan fell onto the bed. He came to knell before her. His hand went up to brush her cheek and another tear ran down as she sucked in a shuddering breath at the feel of his skin on hers. "Fan," he said.

"Todd?" Fan could only stare at her dead boyfriend. He looked so very alive. She must be losing her mind. She'd watched him die. She laid, for hours, his growing cold hand clutched in hers as she screamed for help until she passed out. She'd wakened in her own bed and began screaming. Her dad came I'm and held her until her mom gave her a shot that sent her back to sleep.

"You're dead," Fan said, examining Todd.

Todd moved to cup her face. "Oh, Fan." He leaned up and kissed her forehead. "I'm so sorry. So sorry. For leaving you behind. He placed his hand on her middle. "For leaving you both behind."

Todd moved to sit beside her. He pulled her face down to his shoulder and she pressed her face into his shirt. It felt like a century since they'd been this close. If this was a dream, she didn't ever want to wake up.

Then Fan thought of something. "Todd, you have a card. You can get us out of here. We can go home. Your mom will be so happy to see you." If this were a dream, Todd would take her home and they would live happily ever after.

"We can't go. Not yet." Todd ran his hands though her curls. "But you will be okay. Because you are soooo strong. Fan, babe, you have no idea what you can do. Just trust me when I say: You'll be okay."

Fan nodded and laid her head back down. "Okay."

"Rest now. You'll need it." Todd began to rub her back and Fan closed her eyes. She felt safe. And happy. How Ironic was it to find happiness in the last place on earth she wanted to be. But as long as Todd was here; she could find some bittersweet peace.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. :)**

**Answer to guest review:**

**Emma Salvatore: Thank you for reviewing-back in March-and I hope you're okay! :)**

**Be safe,**

**-J**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello, my lovely readers. We finally get to see Jos, again, and she is about to reunited with a few people. On with the show…**

Chapter 16: Inside Cell 016

_Jos_

It might have been three days. Maybe it was three months. Jos Saltzman found that you could easily lose time in this place. All she knew for certain was on her one trip outside of the detention facility for supes, she boarded a bus and traveled for long enough to fall asleep and woke to eternal darkness. She'd counted the moon rising at least twice before the bus pulled up to a building in an unmarked area. She had no idea what town she was in, or if it was a town. She could still be in Virginia or she could be Maine. But she suspected she was in Virginia, or Virginia's adjacent land. Jos figured they were in Virginia because of the flowering dogwood trees that Li loved so much, the bus had passed them a couple turns from the new building.

Currently, Jos was examining the hallway from an upside down perspective. All she could make out was a grey wall facing her. There used to be a cell across from hers. Couldn't have the inmates looking at each other; they might use their powers of telekinesis to form plans of escape. Idiots. Not all supes had that power. Where was Bonnie Bennett when you needed her?

With a sigh, Jos allowed her legs to fall forward and stood up straight. She felt bored and hungry. Mainly hungry. The last meal she ate was the hamburger they'd given her. She thought they probably laced it with something because she'd been groggy the entirety of the bus trip.

Falling into Warrior One pose, Jos extended her bent leg and arms above her head. Might as well exercise. And wish one of the true monsters who marched up and down this hallway would trip and fall on something sharp. The idea made her smirk. Damn. She was so hungry. Yes. She had reduced to the desire to pick blood of the dirty floor.

As if someone heard her thoughts, her door buzzed. This meant she had company. Maybe they would finally allow her into the lunch room and she could meet the new group of supes who lived here.

Maybe not... Her mood darkened when Townsend entered the cell. And here, she'd been thinking that the best part of moving would be never seeing his evil ass again. This seemed like just her luck.

"Good mornin,' Josie!" Townsend clapped his hands together and grinned. Oh good, the maniac was in a good mood. He must have tortured a kitten for his morning routine.

"Morning?" Jos scoffed. "I wouldn't know." She waved a hand to the place where a window would have been.

Townsend shrugged. "Thought vamps didn't like sunlight."

Jos rolled her eyes. Showed how much he knew about what she was. However, she was not in the mood to educate the ignorant.

Making his way to stand over her, Townsend looked her over. "Saw you doing your little yoga bit. Don't want to let yourself go. Not if you're going to live."

Jos frowned. "And here I thought you brought me here to kill me." She cocked her head to the side. "So, is that why you haven't cut my head off yet? Or do your little scientists have more experiments to conduct?"

Eyes glittering, Townsend reached out and cupped Jos' cheek. "That's what I like about you, girl, you're just so spunky. Hate for someone to extinguish that spark in ya."

Jos wrinkled her nose and took a wide step to the side. If she could, she would take a shower to get the feel of his touch off of her. "What do you want?" She demanded, folding her arms over her chest.

A smile appeared on Townsend's face. Her stomach lurched, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. "What do I want?" He placed his hands on his hips and let out a low whistle. "Billion dollars. Mansion of my own. Plenty of land. Cute little wife to come home to." He cocked his head to the side and stared at her while she glared back at him. "Don't worry, pumpkin. I'm just pulling your leg." Marching over to her he leaned down so they were nearly nose to nose. "I want what everyone wants: Power. And I aim to get the real deal when the dust settles."

Frowning Jos tried to work through Townsend's warped mental games to figure out what his message meant, but as usual, he could not stop talking. "Right now, you, and me we have our parts to play. Now, why don't we mosey on down the hallway? If you're a good girl, I might even find a way to let you play in the yard tonight. How's that sound?"

Townsend's mouth was far too close to Jos' ear. She shook her head. "If it means I have to be nice to you: pass."

"Have it your way." Clamping a firm hand on Jos' upper arm, Townsend pushed her forward and out, into the hallway. He half-dragged her down the hall, up a flight of stairs and down another hallway. At the end of it, he punched a code in and shot her a grin. "Don't try to be smart, Jos. Change these suckers by the hour. Only me, and my men know the new code." He pushed the door open with his free hand and pushed her ahead of him. "Lunch time, girl."

"You said it was morning." Jos shot Townsend a glare over her shoulder.

"It was. Eleven fifty-five. On the dot. You want to eat. Might want to move." Townsend's hand went to her back and he pushed her further into the room before letting the door close and sauntered off.

"Fuck you!" Jos snarled. She turned and used her vamp sight to peer around the cafeteria. She could see a number of tables. Just like the other facility's set-up. Then she caught sight of Penelope, MG, Kaleb and Roman. Her friends were here. They'd been moved, too. She would have cried if she did not want to appear weak.

Going to the line which was almost none existent, she waited her turn. A tray was handed to her by an extremely quiet woman who did not look at Jos. Taking her food, Jos made her way toward her friends when someone called out her name: "Jos! Josie!"

Jo's head turned, and she found Stefanie Salvatore sitting at a table. Fanny was pregnant which made Jos' brows rise. She hoped that happened before the kid was captured; Jos' second thought was: Fan was not a supe. Why the hell was she here?

"JOS?" Fan looked so hopeful, and desperate, that Jos found herself nodding at her new friends before she made her way over to Fan's table. Looked like they would be a party of three. Again, Jos felt confused at the sight of one of the docs being down here. Usually, they spent all their time in the lab, or the examination rooms. Did this guy get lost? Or was this some kind of test? Was another vamp in Jos' head, making her see Fan...

Jo kept walking. She would find out soon enough if this was some kind of a trap. Three feet from the table, Jos found one of the tin soldiers marching over and pointing a gun at her heart. "Find another table!" The idiot growled at her. His eyes were narrowed and she could smell the scent of sweat under his turtleneck. She might have even smiled, if she did not want to start something that would end in one of her friends dead.

"Fine." Jos shot Fan an apologetic look. "I'm gone." She would have held her hands up, but they were full of tray.

The doctor rose to his feet and turned his head to look at the solider with a small, tight smile. "She is Ms. Salvatore's guest."

"Bull!" The kid with the gun snapped, his eyes never leaving Jos. "Their kind don't eat with the human!"

The doctor continued to stare. "I have obtained special permission from my superiors for the girls to eat together."

"No one told me that." The boy grunted. "Back to your seat!" He ordered Jos, waving for her to join one of the other tables. "Or I use this." He waved his gun.

The doctor's cheeks flushed and he slammed a hand on the table, causing Fan to jump and tighten her long sweater around her. "That is enough!" The doctor shouted before adjusting his glasses. No more Mr. Polite Guy for Solider Boy it would seem. "I said: I have authorization. Put your gun down. Now! Or this incident will be reported!"

The solider let out a quiet laugh and turned to the doc. "This is Townsend's floor. You might have pull with the coats upstairs, but no one gives a crap about your orders down here."

"Want to find out?" The doc snapped, a little smirk appearing playing at the edges of his mouth.

"I'm going to get Townsend!" the scared little boy cried before he took off.

The doctor sighed and straightened his coat. Then he turned to Jos. Holding up a hand he gestured to an empty seat across from him. "Come, sit, Ms. Saltzman."

"Thanks..." Jos waited for him to fill in the blank.

"Doctor Ryan Clarke." The doctor folded his hands on top of the table. "You can call me Clarke."

"Right." Jos nodded and turned to Clarke. "What dictionary did you read to wind up in these luxury accommodations?"

Fan shook her head and Jos knew better than to push in front of their current company. "Who's the daddy?" Jos whispered, nodding at Fan's bump.

"Todd." Fan placed a hand on her bump with a smile.

"Huh?" Jos grinned. "So you guys did get freaky. Good for you." She turned her attention to her lunch, but decided she did not feel like opening it just yet. Instead, she looked at Fan's food. It looked like her friend was getting a late breakfast, or Townsend had been screwing with Jos, again. Now, when did he have time to mastermind evil plots when he spent so much time obsessing over annoying her?

Fan's tray had bacon, eggs, toast with two kinds of jam, an orange and a carton of milk just like they used to serve at school. Opening her own packet Jos found a lump of what used to be oatmeal, maybe or maybe it was just a gray lump. Jos closed the packet and tried not to inhale. The grey lump had a smell. Even the doctor discretely placed his hand to his nose. Fan's nostrils began to flare. Picking up the tray, Jos placed it on the floor and kicked it away. "There. The bad lump is gone." Jos gave Fan a quick smile.

"Want some bacon?" Fan pushed her tray between them.

"Stefanie, you need to eat. For the baby." Clark said, sitting forward.

And as much as Jos was dying for a piece of fried pig; she shook her head. "I'm good. Don't worry about me." She took a longer look at the dark purple circles around Fan's eyes, the way her dark curls fell lanky down her shoulders and the pale pallor of her skin. "Eat, kid. I'm fine."

Fan nodded and picked up her fork, digging into her eggs. After a couple of bites, she slid the orange under the sleeve of her sweater and placed it on the bench seat, sliding it toward Jos.

Before Jos could accept the offering, she found Townsend's shadow falling across the table. "Ah, how sweet. Good to see you girls playing nice." Townsend picked up the orange and bounded it in his palm. "So, what do we call this little arrangement, doc?" He asked, leaning between Jos and Fan and closer to Clarke.

"It's a play date." Jos found Townsend leaning back to leer at her response.

"Sounds promising," Townsend muttered, and then looked at the doc and raised his voice. "You know my rules, Doc. Can't have people floating them, 'cause then we have anarchy. Wouldn't want that? Now, would we?"

Clarke fell back in his chair and folded his arms and legs. "No, we would not. However, as I have observed today, Ms. Saltzman is no threat to Ms. Salvatore. They had sat together in the length of time it took your minion to get here and back, with you, conversing and eating, without a problem."

Letting out a laugh, Townsend nodded. "You are right. These girls know how to l play nice. Hell, they were even trying to play nice: sharing." He held up the orange and spun around on his heel. "But you know what this gets you?" He turned back the stare at Clarke. "Food on the floor. Apparently what I serve up is not good enough for this one." He pointed at Jos. "Is that right for the others?" He waved his hands and a chant of "NO!" could be heard. "That's what I think!"

Townsend pointed at the tray of Jo's so-called breakfast. "Get that!" he ordered a guard. The guard grabbed the tray and moved to place it in front of Jos. "Eat it!" He snapped at Jos.

Jos stared at the grey lump. "Eat it!" Townsend shouted and one of the guards came forward and jerked Clarke out of Jos' seat. "Good girls clean their plates. Are you good girls?" He demanded. Fan looked at Jos with wide eyes as the guard who held Clarke hit him in the stomach. The doctor bent over and gasped.

"Order your man to stand down!" Clarke gasped out. His eyes moved up to Townsend who shrugged.

"Hey! You don't believe in my rules. So, I say: let everyone do as they want." The guard turned Clarke around and punched him in the face. Clarke fell to the floor. "Stop! Leave him alone!" Fan screamed, getting to her feet.

Jos grabbed her spork. "Eat, Fan!" she ground out between her teeth.

Fan's horrified gaze went to Jos. "No! He wins if we do!"

The guard kicked Clarke, again, and Jos smelled the doc's blood. Every vamp in the cafeteria did. Clark took hold of his chair and tried to pull himself up when the guard shoved him away with a boot-clad foot. Clarke fell a foot from a table full of vamps. Slowly, the vamps rose, looking around at the guards who did not move.

"Fan!" Jos snapped.

Fan continued to watch the scene while Jos crammed a grey lump into her mouth. One of the vamps took hold of Clarke by the collar opening their mouth to bite as Clarke shouted. "Townsend!"

"Hey, buddy! You don't need my help." He sat down on the table next to Jos. "Boy, they does smell rank," he said, waving at Jos' lump.

Finishing, Jos shot up and over the table. She pushed her way between Clarke and the vamp. "Back off!" she shouted, baring her fangs. A number of vamps came at her and she fought them off. Penelope, MG, Roman, and Kaleb moved to join her when one of the guards intervened.

Blood ran down Jos' chin, but she took little notice. She enjoyed the fight. It made her feel alive.

"Enough!" Townsend called out. The guards moved forward. "Back to your cells!" He said, waving a finger for everyone to go. "But you three, stay!" He eyed Clarke, Jos, and Fan.

After the cafeteria cleared out, Jos helped Clarke to the nearest chair while Fan finished up her meal and walked over to stand beside Jos. The kid lifted her chin in a defiant manner. Jos was split between telling Fan to learn when to cool it and feeling proud. Stefanie might be a breakable human, but she was also a little badass. Settling into a crossed armed stance like her dad in a bad mood, Jos waited.

Townsend took a seat on top of their table and shook his head. "You three want to start a revolution, wait your turn. Right now, you're in my sandbox. You'll play by rules, or you'll pay." He stared at Clarke before looking from Fan to Jos. "You two want to hang out and braid each other's hair, do it outside of this room. Can't have people thinking I'm going soft. Now, can I?"

"I can make special provisions for visits," Clarke gasped out. Fan reached out, placing a hand on his bruised cheek. Eyebrows rising, Jos caught Townsend also looking shocked.

Clarke eased Fan's hand away. "I should go back to the lab."

"Good. I'll take Thelma and Louise back to their cells." Townsend waved for Fan and Jos to make their way toward the door. Jos followed Fan to the door. Townsend punched in a new code and then waited for the girls to go through first. When they were in the hallway, he led them downstairs, but held the door open. "Got to get this one back to her room." He patted Fan's shoulder. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone," he warned Jos.

The door buzzed closed and Jos found herself alone on her own floor. She'd never been left alone. She could hear all of the sounds on the floor. Not being able to help it, she headed down the hallway. Peering into each cell. Several supes looked up at her, but none of them said anything. Pen seemed to be taking a nap. She laid on her back with her eyes closed. Jos opened her mouth to say something when a low moan came from down the hall.

With a frown, Jos made her way down the hallway. There was a dark corridor going off to the right. A single light bulb blinked overhead. Edging down the hallway, Jos noted empty cells. The moan came, again, accompanied by a whimper. Whatever else it was, it sounded human.

Stopping in front of the cell door, Jos tried to peek into the tiny window in the cell. "Hello!" she called.

A whimper answered her. "Do you need help?" Jos called to the whimper. She couldn't really make anything out as she tried to scan the cell for signs of life.

"I said: STAY!" Townsend. Where in the hell had he come from? His hands went around her upper arms and he pulled her away from the cell door and began to push her in front of him.

"Wait!" Jos whirled on her heel. She put her hands up, in case he thought she meant to attack him. "There's someone in there! They sounded hurt!"

"In there!" Townsend grinned. "Must be a ghost. Hall-o-ween all over again!" He wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her along. "Got a surprise for you in your cell."

"But -"

"Nothing in that cell concerns you!" Townsend reared back and cupped Jos' face. "Listen to me, Josette! You don't want anything to do with that!" For once Townsend seemed serious.

For now, Jos decided to give up on the mystery of Cell 016. But she would remember that number, because if it scared Townsend, it might be worth checking out.

Jos walked back to her cell with no more arguments. The door buzzed and she went inside. "Here you go. Take the sting out of the punishment." Townsend held out Fan's orange.

Staring at it, Jos decided she did not want him to have his men beat the crap out of Clarke, again. At least not today. She accepted the orange and Townsend grabbed her wrist. "I let you get away with a whole pot of crap 'cause you're my favorite. Don't keep testing me, or you'll see what I am capable of." Jerking her forward, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and Jos felt her skin crawl before he let her go.

Silence filled the hallway after a long moment and Jos went to lay down and contemplate her orange. Favorite. Huh? She wondered how she could use that against the psycho, tossing her treat in the air.

_Sand_

Foot tapping the floor of her classroom, Sandra Bennett-Gilbert waited for the bell to ring. She used to love school. Then again, she also used to feel safe in her town. She did not anymore. Not with the men who dragged people she loved into unmarked vans and disappeared into the night.

The bell rang. Shoving her things into her bag, Sand was one of the first people in the hallway. She pulled up the hood of her purple zip-up and made her way toward one of the exits. Her parents were both at work. Her brothers would have been picked up by the babysitter. Sand told her mom she would be at Li's after school. That was a lie in so much as Sand had not talked to Li about coming over and Sand had not seen Li all day.

Most of the day, Sand had asked to be able to go to the library to study. Her all A-s helped her to gain the teacher's permission. After all, what else would Sand Gilbert be doing in the library, other than studying?

Well, yes, Sand was studying. Just not what people might think. She sat, curled up in a chair with copies of literature she might ordinarily enjoy, if she weren't idly turning pages once in a while to convince others she was reading. What she was doing was conserving energy. She would need quite a bit of it for tonight's plan.

Now, Sand walked from sidewalk to sidewalk, making her way toward the Mikaelson's house. She walked to the front door and pushed the buzzer. Rebekah Mikaelson answered the door to her brother's house. "Hello, Sandra. Are you here to visit with Temis?"

"Theo," Sand said.

"Oh?" Rebekah seemed pleased. "Theo, your friend is here!"

Feet sounded on the stairs and Theo Gerard seemed pleased until he saw it was Sand. "Um. Hey!" He called out, coming down the stairs. "What's up?"

"Study date? Remember?" Sand watched Theo hesitate for a second too long and then smile. "Yes!" He turned to Rebekah. "We're going to go -"

"Outside," Sand supplied.

"And do that," Theo echoed with a grin at his mother.

"It's supposed to rain in the next hour. Come back in if it does." Rebekah advised them. "I have to go out for... Nik..." Looked like Rebekah had secrets, too. She kissed her son on the check and left the house.

"What's going on?" Theo asked as Sand entered the house and made her way to the kitchen.

"I need a place to astrally project. And your house has a nice, big fence to keep people's noses out of your business." Sand pulled the kitchen door open and went outside.

"Where are you projecting to?" Theo asked, following Sand across the grass. Sand kneeled down and then laid beneath a willow tree, closing her eyes. "Where do you think? Now, go inside, and make sure no one comes out here to break my concentration."

Theo said, "What if you get caught. This is dangerous!"

Sighing, Sand propped herself up on her elbow and peered up at Theo through her glasses. "Living is dangerous, Theo."

"Yeah." Theo's agreement was followed by the sound of his feet leading him away from her.

With a groan, Sand fell on her back and concentrated. She allowed what bound her to the physical world slip away. Her mind brought up a mental picture of Jos, willing herself to be with Jos; San found herself inside a grey cell with a large glass window that faced a grey hallway. She took a couple of steps toward the glass when a muffled moan came from behind her.

Sand turned to find a girl lying on a flimsy piece of mat atop a metal frame. She'd seen things like this from Dateline's exclusives inside prisons. The girl's back was to Sand. She jerked in her sleep. A trembling hand outstretched, Sand walked over to the girl. She stopped and saw Jos' short blond hair had grown several inches. Her dark roots were showing. Fingers gong downward, Sand brushed Jos' hair out of her face. She still looked angelic when she slept. Of course, not so much when she woke up and her eyes darkened, fangs popping out.

Twisting around, Jos jerked Sand under her, hands trapping Sand to the bed before Jos cocked her head to the side and smiled. "Sand!" She cried, shocking Sand by diving down to kiss Sand on the lips. Sand moaned and Jos' hands slid from Sand's arms to her hips. "Baby," Jos mumbled, lips moving to Sand's neck. "I haven't had this dream in so long. And you feel sooo good." Her mouth worked under Sand's shirt and upward. Sand's eyes rolled up and she clutched at where a pillow would have been on one of their beds. Finding nothing but air, Sand was brought firmly back to reality. "Jos! Jos! Let me up!"

"But we haven't gotten to the good part, yet!" Jos replied, grinning and moving to push Sand's skirt up.

"Josie! Listen to me! Please!" Sand had no idea how much time had passed. But she needed to put it to good use.

Jos sighed and fell onto her side, back against the wall. She held up her hands. "Fine. Boring talk. Then sexual fantasy time." She leaned her head on her knee. "What do you want to talk about, Dream Girl?" A tiny smirk lit up her face and Sand felt tears prick her eyes. "Hey! No crying! You don't cry in my dreams... Unless it's from how good it felt..."

"Jos, shut up!" Sand sobbed, clapping a hand over mouth. She shook her head and tried to calm down. "This is NOT a dream!"

Jos became very still. "But you died. And you are trapped on The Prison World with my wacky Uncle Kai. And Jacob Salvatore. So, yes, you are a dream. Because otherwise..."

"Jos!" Sand rook hold of Jos by her wrists. "Jake. Jacob. He found a way to get me out of there. I'm free. I went home to my family. And school. Then I found out that you were here. And I have been waiting, and planning, trying to figure out how to free you, too."

For a moment, Jos just stared at Sand, then she dove forward. Tugging, Sand to her, Jos began to laugh and rocked back and forth. "You're alive! And you're free! And I'm here! That makes perfect sense!"

Sand jerked back and shook her head. "No, Jos. It does not make sense!" She cupped Jos ' face. "You do not deserve this!"

"I do, baby. I do." Jos ran her hands through Sand's curls. "I was awful to you. I turned. I started screwing James. I killed Poppy 'cause she liked you -"

Sand pressed her lips to Jos,' shutting her ex up. "You still love me?"

"Always!" Jos kissed Sand back, wrapping her arms around Sand's waist and holding her tight.

Not wanting to, but knowing she had to, Sand pulled back. "You have to tell me everything you know about this place."

Jos nodded. "They have cameras. All over. This is one of the places where I can do anything without being watched." She paused. "I saw Fan. A couple of days ago. They haven't let me out of my cell since."

"Is she okay?" Sand asked. Stefanie. Just the idea of her girlfriend and her best friend being stuck here made Sand want to burn this place to the ground. But she did not know where it was and did not have that kind of power. But she did know a couple of people who did...

Jos shook her head. "She's trying to be. The kid is tougher than I ever gave her credit for. How is Li? And Hope?"

"Li's doing as well as Fan. Hope is...well, she's Hope. So, there's always a drama unfolding, right?" They laughed about that for a moment.

A sudden buzz made Jos look up. She pressed her lips to Sand's ear. "Go! Now! Come back tomorrow!"

With a gasp, Sand found herself back in her body. She also found Klaus Mikaelson standing over her. Her mother taught her about what this man was capable of and Sand gulped. "Hello, Mr. Mikaelson," she said on autopilot.

"Would you care to explain what you are doing in my yard, Sandra?" Klaus asked.

"Um...meditating?" Sand could kick her own ass for being so lame.

Klaus held out a hand and pulled the teenage witch to her feet. "My eldest sister is a witch. My mother is the Original witch. Do you believe me to be a fool, Sandra?" His brows rose and a dark smirk appeared on his face.

Sand shook her head. "No."

"The next time you want to use my property for magical purposes, ask first." Klaus stared at her and Sand nodded quickly before hurrying to the kitchen door. "And your mother called. She wants you hone for dinner."

"Yes, sir!" Sand called back. She almost ran to the front door.

Making it, Sand sighed in relief. Her eyes closed and she opened them, almost screaming at the sight of Klaus, blocking the door. "Is Josette alright?"

"She's alive," Sand admitted.

"Good. We will bring her home. Assure her of that, during your next visit." Klaus opened the door. "Be careful."

"You, too." Sand replied, lifting her hood and hurrying home.

~0~

The next morning, Sand got out of bed before the rest of the household. She wrote her mom a quick note: Went to school early. Test prep with Li. She slipped out the front door and made her way to the Mikaelson's. Before she could ring the bell, Klaus opened the door and ushered her toward the kitchen. She walked through the house. She listened for others, knowing Klaus would hear anything long before she did.

They exited the kitchen door and Sand made her way to the willow tree. "You might like to use this." Turning around, Sand's eyes widened at the sight of a single diamond swinging from the end of a necklace. "I presented this to Jos a day before her mother and I were to be wed. The diamond helps calm the soul and amplifies one's powers. I thought it might help you with your quest."

"Thank you." Sand allowed Klaus to put it around her neck and laid down. She nodded at him and closed her eyes.

Upon opening her eyes, Sand found Jos, and Fan. Her breath hitched in her throat. "Fan?"

"Sand!" Fan turned away from whatever she'd been saying to Jos and crossed the cell in five large steps. "You're here! Jos said you came to her! But you're here! You're alive!" Fan began to laugh and then started crying. "Stupid hormones!"

"You're so big!" Sand gasped. Placing her hands to Fan's bump, she grinned as the baby kicked. "Hi, to you, too!" She said to the baby.

"You got new bling," Jos' voice made Sand look up.

Sand looked down at her chest. "Yes." She fingered the rock. "It's yours. Klaus gave it to me. To help with my magic." She brushed her hair to the side and started to undo the clasp.

"Don't." Jos crossed the space. "Keep it." They stared at each other long enough that Fan coughed. "If you guys need a minute; I can go to my library." She waved at a small shelf of books. Sand now took the time to note that Fan had much nicer accommodations than Jos did.

Jos smirked. "Her would- be boyfriend gave them to her."

"Ryan is not my boyfriend!" Fan cried, rolling her eyes. "I already have a boyfriend..."

Sand looked to Jos and Jos shook her head. Deciding not to ask about that one, Sand smiled. "It missed you, so much,: she told Fan who grinned.

"Me too!" Fan crossed the room and hugged Sand.

The moment did not last long because Sand heard a familiar buzz. "Bye," she mouthed to Jos and Fan.

Back in her body, Sand felt better knowing that her friends were okay. She just wished she could bring them home, now.

Getting up, Sand left the Mikaelson's house and headed toward her school. Peering out from under her hood, she saw one of the black vans turning the same corner that she did. Her heart began to ping in her chest. But she kept going until she got to school. Striding down the hall, she barged into the girl's bathroom and locked herself inside a stall. Locking the door behind her, Sand leaned against the door. Her breathing calmed as she clutched her new necklace. She was taking a huge risk every time she sought out Jos. But Jos was worth it. And Sand would take any risk to bring her girl home.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Be safe,**

**-J**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello, my lovely readers. We finally get a peek at how things are going inside the Salvatore School while the outside world falls apart. On with the show…**

Ch. 17 It's Time To Be On Your Best Behavior

_Alaric_

Staring at the bottom of an empty bottle of bourbon, Alaric's Saltzman's brows came together and his eyes narrowed. He was in the process of figuring out how his life blew up in his face, again. He'd had not one, but TWO failed marriages. (Not as much as many Hollywood stars but it still sucked.) His first preferred to become a vamp to life with good-old Ric. The second was already half-vamp; so he didn't have to fear her leaving him over that. Nope. He had to fear her reuniting with her vamp boyfriend (who had forgotten who she was). He had two fiancées. First one, murdered on their wedding day. Second one, preferred a vamp who killed himself on their wedding day. And Alaric had two daughters. One of which had been taken during the not-a-wedding of Ric's second fiancée, mother of said daughter. The other daughter Ric rarely saw because he preferred to hide in his office with his bottles of bourbon than face her depression...

His fingers wound round the bottle and Alaric fancied the idea of throwing it at the opposite wall. It could shatter, like his life, into a million, irretrievable pieces. Perfect symbolism. The thought made him laugh hysterically until tears ran down his cheeks. His head met the top of his desk and he closed his eyes.

Mind turning backwards, Alaric though about why he and Caroline had opened the Salvatore School. It had been to protect their girls. (Oh, yes. And what a great job they had done this year.) But the mission went beyond their own personal needs. As they planned it out, it became apparent how many children, world-wide, needed a place like the one that Alaric and Caroline dreamed of. They had known so many witches, wolves, and vamps, who never received a proper place to hone their talents. They hid. They were hunted. They were exiled from their own families. Why? Because they were different.

And while the majority of their intentions were filled with benevolent desires, they also feared for their children. Alaric and Caroline had seen how the Gemini Coven had shaped and twisted roots from their tree. One of the best examples being Kai Parker. And they feared (although they rarely allowed themselves to speak the notion aloud that either twin could turn out like Kai). For this reason, they worked hard to instill love, kindness, and compassion within their children and to show the children in their care these same qualities. But...

But the world outside of their gate was filled with those who were so deeply entrenched in antipathy, callousness and greed; it made Alaric's and Caroline's work that much more difficult. There were too many people who prized survival over morality and justified their desire for power over others in "Keeping the world safe." Safe? For whom, exactly?

Maybe Klaus Mikaelson was right. Maybe you should look out for yourself, and your own, first. Rout your enemies. Lay siege to all that they stood for. And burn the ground where they walked as a warning to those who came after...

Falling back in his seat, Alaric smiled bitterly at his own thoughts. He ran a hand over his swollen eyelids. Oh, yeah. Klaus would be thrilled to know that the man who had written volume after volume on the terrible exploits of the self-styled, Hybrid King, was now contemplating taking a page out of Klaus' playbook. Nope. The irony was not lost on Alaric's liquor-soaked brain.

However, Klaus would also understand Alaric's sudden diverting from his usual path. Klaus and Alaric had something in common, after all. They were both fathers. They would kill, or die, for their girls. And if anyone ever laid a hand on Hope Mikaelson's head, you could be sure of one thing: There would be hell to pay, and then some...

Thoughts turning to Hope, Alaric groaned. She wasn't just his former student. She was his former step-child. And no matter how much Alaric might want to sever the invisible cord between them, he still thought of her as one of his kids. No, they hadn't talked lately. She'd been busy being Hope, the high school student, the daughter, and niece, and cousin, the sister, the girlfriend of a vampire who was in a Prison World and a witch, and a werewolf, and a vampire and a friend, and probably a number of other things Alaric didn't even know about. Picking up the empty bottle; Alaric pitched it in the trash. She would want him to do better. He turned away from his desk and pressed his hands into his eyes, cursing silently.

Hope had Elijah. She had Hayley. She had Klaus. Hell, she probably had Caroline, (what with Caroline still a hooking up with Klaus). What did Jos have? A bunch of idiots who were holding her in a cell somewhere? Maybe not even that. Maybe she was already dea-

Breath hitching, Alaric forced himself to sit up straight. No. He would not allow himself to think that Jos was dead. She couldn't be. She was just scared, and probably alone, waiting for Alaric to kick down the door and take her home. She was still his little girl. And, at the end of the day, as terrible as it was to admit, Alaric did not care that Jo killed Poppy. Jo was his daughter. And he knew her. He knew she was no Kai Parker. She was not capable of becoming a cold, calculating sociopath. She did wrong. And they would deal with it. As soon as she was home and safe...

Hell, there was a part of Alaric that was beginning to miss being an Original vampire. If he still had that kind of power, he could track Jo down and rip through the idiots who took her. But her mother-her biological mother, Jo Laughlin-help him become what he was today, just an ordinary human. And if that had not happened; there would be no Jos Saltzman to need saving. Alaric would not trade vampirism, for his girls, for a single second (even fear of The Merge in the back of his mind every single day...)

Thought still with Jos, the parental instinct licked into to over-drive. He had enough of the idiots who kept wondering the streets of Mystic Falls and taking people, like his daughter from their families and their lives. How many of these been rounded up, to be "detained" without being able to speak with a lawyer, without any of understanding of where they would be taken and what would happen to them after they got there? Would it ever stop? And all this because some jackasses in the government didn't want to deal with what they did not (and we're not trying to) understand?

Alaric had stilled his hand after Caroline's travesty of a non-wedding to Klaus because of Li. What if he tried to get Jos back, and they came after Li, too? What if they came into the school and began rounding the kids up? Someone had to stay here. Someone had to put up the image of being in charge and show that there was still order while the outside world fell into chaos. But Alaric admitted to himself, now, that he had been hiding. He had been afraid to do what had to be done. He feared losing anyone else, and in order to end this thing, there would be losses. And they had not prepared the kids in this school to cope with what must be done. But they could not wait any longer. The longer they waited, the stronger the other side got. And one day, they would knock down the gate and come barreling in with their weapons...

Each of these kids had more power within them than any of the fools put there could dream of. Together, they could survive. But they had to act now. They had to be ready, whether they were at their full powers, or not. War had come and it was not asking if there were children inside. The children of the Salvatore School were the enemy, age did not figure into the equation.

Readying himself, Alaric rose to his feet. He had a speech he had to make. He made his way to the doors of his office, smoothing his hair and straightening his tie. No more waiting. They would face the new dawn, today, together and they would bring Jos home. She was, after all, one of theirs...

~0~

Any trace of patience Alaric might have felt when he arrived in the hall they used for assemblies, birthday parties, etc., died ten minutes after he arrived to the sounds of a chattering student body and found no one sensing the serious nature of his announcement. He stood at the podium, his fingers clutching either side of the lectern. "Ahem!" he coughed loudly. Still, the students continued on as if Alaric was not there. "Thank you for coming..." Trailing off, Alaric found not a single student had had the decency to shut up and pay attention.

"Students!" Emma Tig strode forward. She clapped her hands together and the upper classman began to turn to her. "Dr. Saltzman has asked us to assemble and to listen to his announcement. Now, please, give him your attention." She turned to give Alaric a quick smile, her dark eyes warm as she returned to her fellow teachers.

Sighing in relief, Alaric smiled and his grip loosened. "Thank you, Ms. Tig." He nodded at her before looking at the children who faced him. "Hello, students. I know many of yor are probably curious as to why I have asked you to leave your classes in the middle of the day..." a number of the students shrugged and a few rolled their eyes. Yup. He was losing them already, time to get down to business.

Placing his hand in his pocket, Alaric pulled the microphone out of its stand and he began to pace. "The truth is, I shouldn't have had to ask you to come in here, today. Right now, you should be passing notes in Chem lab. You should be in study hall. You should be studying the history of lycanthropy and how to make a ball of sunlight. None of you should have to be here. None of you should have to sit through the speech I am about to give you."

Alaric moved to stand in front of the first row. He saw the witch in front of him, staring at him with wide eyes and he offered her a reassuring smile. "You should be picking out the perfect outfit for the next party." The witch smiled at his words. His eyes went up the back row. "All of us," he walked back to the podium and replaced the mic, leaning closer to it and lowering his voice, "should be preparing for tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. But...tell me what you would do if tomorrow was not guaranteed?"

Eyes ticking to the faculty, Alaric saw Emma's mouth make an O of surprise at Alaric's sudden change of course. But he kept going. Leaning back, Alaric raised his voice, "As hard as I, and my fellow faculty members, have tried, we have not been able to keep the rumor of a group taking your fellow witches, vampires and werewolves off the streets and forcing them into unmarked vans out of this school." Again, Alaric leaned closer to the mic. His eyes moved over the students. They no longer looked bored. A number of them looked scared. "The rumor is true. The supernatural community is under attack."

Standing back, Alaric allowed his words to sink in. He saw Emma and Dorian Williams speaking to each other in low tones, but he could not catch what they were saying. Other faculty members did not look happy with Alaric's words. He did not care.

"This world is unfair. That sounds like a cliché that adults want to trot when they can not figure out how to explain why things suck. The truth is: The world is unfair. You should be in class. You should be planning out your lives. This should not be a time in which you are asked to decide: Do you want to plan your future, or do you want some group of jackasses to march through our gates, and make your decision for you?" Pausing, Alaric shook his head. The world Is NOT FAIR!"

Several students clapped as Alaric continued, "On the day of your headmistress' wedding, our daughter, Jos, was taken into custody. Today, Caroline and I still do not know where Jos is. We do not know if she is alive. We do not know if she is okay. We do not know if she has been tortured. She was, like you, a Salvatore Stallion. Some of you might have had class with her. You might have hung out with her at a party. You might remember her sense of humor. You might have just said 'Hello,' passing in the hallway." Alaric lost his self-control for a moment. Holding up a finger, he waited and then said, "And I need to ask you to help me find her. I need to ask you to fight for her. I need to ask you to place your futures at risk before those men, outside our gates come in and take so many of you, and the lower classman, become a Jos Saltzman! Are you with me?"

For a moment Alaric feared that they would revolt when one of the vamps got up. He began to clap his hands together. "Salvatore Stallions, together!" One by one, the students rose until the outcry was deafening. "Jos! Jos! We'll bring her home, Dr. Saltzman!" The cheer echoed as they stomped their feet and drummed on backs of their seats.

"Thank you." Alaric moved through the throng, taking the hands of his students and shaking them with vigor. He felt like he could do this. He finally felt like he would be able to save his daughter and stop sitting in his office doing nothing to save anyone.

On his way out of the assembly hall, Alaric heard someone call his name. "Alaric!" Turning, Alaric found Emma following him down the hallway. He stopped and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He felt happy to see her. They could discuss strategy. But the closer Emma got, the less certain Alaric felt.

"Yes, Emma." Alaric kept his tone neutral. "How can I help you?"

"You can help me by explaining what just happened, in there?" Emma's voice was hushed but harsh. "How could you stand there and use a rallying cry in such a manner?"

"Those kids in there are under threat!" Alaric retorted between his teeth.

"Really? I have yet to see anyone attempt to breach our gates! It would seem that your desire to rescue Jos has made you forget the promise you made to so many of these children's parents: that you would keep them safe, as well?" Her dark eyebrows rose as she spoke. "Please, Alaric, stop this foolishness before it becomes something out of our control!"

"No!" Alaric shook his head. "You don't get it, Emma! It is already out of our control! All I did was state the obvious! Did you think we could hide the truth from them forever? Give them the impression that as long as they play at being good boys and girls, the world will reward them? This doesn't end with them each getting a puppy dog, a kitty cat, a unicorn and a rainbow shooting out gold coins! It ends bloody! You and I know that! We've lived that!"

"But we are fighting for a world in which they do not have to know what is like to have someone else's blood on their hands. We are fighting to keep them from becoming monsters, Alaric!" Emma's eyes were pleading with him, but he'd heard enough.

"The real monsters are out there!" Alaric pointed toward the other side of the school where the front door stood. "They are the town where my other daughter sleeps at night. And one day they might rip her out of the bed, if I don't stand up to them, now!" He turned his back on her and strode down the hallway.

"Alaric, I can't stand with you in this matter!" Emma called.

"Then I will accept your resignation and be happy to fill out a letter of recommendation." Not able, and not willing to see the stricken look he knew was on Emma's face, Alaric kept going. He had to get ready. He refused to waste any more time.

_Caroline_

The days since Jos had been taken were moving far too quickly for Caroline Forbes' taste. She'd forgotten it was a Monday. Before, she would have had so many plans, including going to that night's PTA meeting. Was there a PTA meeting? Half-heartedly, she removed her phone from her purse. She found a text from Hayley. The hybrid wanted to know if Caroline and Klaus wanted to have dinner. With a jolt, Caroline remembered this meant Hayley, Elijah, Hope, Li, Caroline and Klaus, not Hayley, Alaric, Hope, Li, Jos and Caroline. Life kept changing. She missed the old days when she, Bon, Lena and Hales would go out for their little coffee dates. Just four moms, talking mom stuff. That felt like a lifetime ago.

"She's getting worse." The sound of Rebekah Mikaelson's sharp tone made Caroline's thoughts blur. The younger vampire narrowed her eyes at the scene in her hallway. She stood just outside her bedroom while Rebekah, Klaus, and Kol Mikaelson stood outside the guest bedroom. Their mother was dying inside. Caroline would like to shower the Original with some compassion in her last hours, but thoughts of Jos overwhelmed her and pushed anything else into a dark corner.

"And do we care?" Kol quipped. At least Caroline was not quite that callous, yet. He stood beside Klaus typing away something on his phone. He didn't even bother to look at Rebekah who stood facing him with a sour look. Finally, Kol did look up at his siblings and rolled his eyes. "Don't look at me like that. You both know you wish her gone, too. Hope's raising her was a grave mistake-pun intended-that will soon be rectified. Call me when it's done. We can pop a bottle of champagne. "With that said, Kol sped off, presumably to return to Davina and James, unlike Rebekah who seemed to be moving in. She certainly spent enough time under their roof and her kids had joined the party, coming in and out at all hours of the day and night.

"Bugger him." Rebekah narrowed her eyes and faced Klaus. "I'm going to make her some of that herbal tea she liked when we were small." Walking away, Rebekah glanced at Caroline but they did not speak. After the failed rescue mission, Caroline had begun to hide in her room more and more often. The last conversation she and Rebekah had involved Rebekah mentioning Li and Theo's break-up. Rebekah seemed to be pleased and Caroline had lost her temper. The last words Caroline had spoken were: "Get the hell out my room, you bitch!"

Caroline would say she regretted that interaction, but she and Rebekah had had a complicated relationship since they met. As much as Caroline would like to think they could get through a year without a fight; she doubted it. Perhaps Rebekah was right; their kids' break-up was a good thing. No more forced kindness between the two blondes. Well, not right now, anyway.

Coming out of her thoughts on her own, this time, Caroline saw that Klaus had not moved a muscle. She really wished he would come up with a sudden whim and speed off to deal with said whim. They, too, had spoken less and less often to the point that Caroline was using one of the guest bedrooms, two doors down from Klaus' room, but far enough away to feel like an ocean.

During dinner, each of the four remaining people-in what was meant to make up their new family-would sit through a meal, barely looking at each other. As soon as possible, Li would make an excuse about unfinished homework. More than once Caroline found Li laying on her bed, eyes on the ceiling, music turned up. Hope would be the next one to leave. She'd say something about Freddy and take off. Finally, Caroline would give up. If she stayed too long, she and Klaus would have to talk. And Caroline couldn't. Not yet. She would find Herald in Jos' room. She would enter her daughter's closet, close the door and look for a piece of clothing. Pressing it to her face, Caroline would sink to her knees, muffling her screams and sobs with the cloth that held her child's fading scent. Then she would leave, until next time...

Klaus did not seem to be in any hurry to leave the hallway. Caroline knew he could stand like this for a year, as lost in thought as she was apt to be these days.

Caroline wanted to check on Li. Her daughter's bedroom lay four doors down from the one Esther occupied. This meant Caroline had to make it past Klaus. If he were so deeply in thought he missed Caroline's presence entirely...

Making a decision, Caroline placed one black booted foot in front of the other. Once she was past Klaus, she could speed into the safety of Li's room. The teen may not even be in there. Then Caroline could lie on the bed and take comfort in Li's scent and belongings.

Gingerly, Caroline edged her way past Klaus. One foot past him. One foot to go. She held her breath as her left foot made to join the right one. Almost there...

And then a hand clamped down on her left wrist. The hand's owner spun her around. Caroline found herself face to face with Klaus. His eyes burned into her as they had so many times when they were still dancing around each other. Her heart pounded in her chest. "Where are you going, Caroline?" Klaus' soft tone did not match the fire in his eyes, the challenge.

Raising her chin, Caroline replied, "To check on Li." She made her own tone firm. She had nothing to hide.

"Li is asleep." Klaus' eyes moved to the end of the hallway and his expression softened. "She doesn't do it often without crying. However, she seemed calm this time. Perhaps Hope gave her an herbal tea."

"Maybe." Caroline looked down. His fingers slipped from her.

"I suspect she's avoiding us all. Reminder of family..." Klaus' gaze turned inward and Caroline wondered if he meant Li...or her? He took a large step backwards. His hands went behind his back. His eyes trailed over the floor. "I would understand if she wished to end our engagement..."

Klaus' words caught Caroline off-guard. Her eyes widened and she stared at him, but he did not look at her, a deep frown marred his brow. "I can feel you withdrawing from me. I feel our family, fracturing." His hands lifted, spreading apart, bis eyes flicked to Caroline's with a depth of fear Caroline did not know he was capable of. "I understand, you blame me for Jos' abduction." Caroline opened her mouth to reply, but Klaus continued, "My folly is in telling Cullen of my true nature, relishing in every horrid action I ever took against humans. If I were to be an example of the supernatural society, I certainly out - did myself in casting us in a poor light. All because of my foolish pride..." His eyes went to the ceiling. "And, now, I may have cost you your child. You have every reason to loathe me. Therefore, I release you from your promise, or any duty you might feel to remain by my side-"

Caroline let out a laugh that seemed to shock Klaus. His eyes rose and he looked like a wounded puppy. "I'm sorry... 'Relate to me?' 'Duty?" She let out another laugh. "Klaus, I know you sometimes forget the century we're in, but this isn't one of those where I'm bound to marry because of the cows my parents gave you. This isn't a twisted fairy tale. And I am not Elijah. I don't go in for staying with someone because I feel obligated to. If I wanted to leave you..." Caroline inhaled and exhaled slowly. "I do NOT blame you for Jos. I blame those sub-human, dicks, who came to our door!"

Crossing the distance between them, Caroline placed her hands on his cheeks, cupping his stubble-covered face. Her eyes searched his. "Klaus Mikaelson, I am going to marry you. And we are going to be happy. We'll have fat grandbabies. So many stories to tell them. And I say this because I love you, you idiot!" She grinned, watching Klaus' eyes light up.

The next thing Caroline felt was Klaus' lips on hers. Her arms went around his neck. His hands went down, catching her under the knee and lifting her in the air. She locked her legs around his waist.

They were inside their bedroom in seconds. The lock snapped closed. Clothes ripping. Mouth open, Caroline cried out. Klaus' lips, trailing down her neck. A pile formed of ruined garments. Bed springs creaked. Her back rose. His tongue ran over her bare leg. Her eyelids shut tight. Sheets fell to the floor. His hands traveled along her back. She watched him. His eyes glowed as she moved. Hair flowing down her back as she gripped the top of the headboard. Gasping, his fingers dug into her thighs. A quiet scream escaped her lips as his mouth crushed hers. Her hands on his chest as she fell down, pressing her face over his beating heart.

Caroline felt the stress falling away as sleep came to wrap a light blanket around them.

~0~

One eyelid peeping open, Caroline groaned. Her hand groped for the source of the annoying buzzing sound. Her hand slapped at the maple wood until she realized that her phone lay within the wreckage of her and Klaus' clothes, or what used to be clothes before they were strips of fabric.

With a heavy sigh, Caroline pushed her body upward. She had no choice but to go and find out what the device wanted from her. Klaus let out a low snarl. His arms looped around her, attempting to pin her to him and return to their earlier activities. Noting that her lover was still asleep, Caroline placed her hands on his shoulders, "Down, boy," she whispered into his ear. He let out a displeased noise but fell back into the pillows.

Deciding to run while she still could, Caroline stood up and ran across the bed. She dropped into a crouch and ruffled through the strips. Freeing her phone, she lifted it to her ear

"Hello?" Emma Tig's reply made Caroline stand up straight, her hand on her hip. Her expression turned sour as Emma's worst sunk in. "He did what?" Caroline had hoped she heard Emma wrong. Nope. She heard the teacher right the first time.

"Everything alright, love?" Klaus called.

Hanging up, Caroline shook her head. She knew he heard the conversation. "Nope."

"Do you need my help?" Klaus asked as Caroline sped over to the chest of drawers and ripped clothes out. She jerked on underwear, a pair of jeans and a top she liked.

"No. I'll be fine." Caroline made her way over to kneel down beside Klaus as he turned on his side to stare at her. "You could do one thing for me."

"Anything."

"Look after Li for me." Caroline noted the questioning look on Klaus' face. Leaning over, she entangled her hands in his curls and kissed him deeply. Forcing herself to pull back, she smiled at him. "I love you, Klaus."

"I love you, too, Caroline." Klaus' smile made her want to jump back in bed, but she had to go. The school needed her. With that thought, she sped out of the room.

~0~

Students stood on both sides of the hallway, leading to Dr. Alaric Saltzman's office. Caroline frowned. Emma had warned her, but Caroline had been hoping the witch was wrong; apparently not.

"Excuse me. Coming through." Caroline pushed through the throng before pulling the double doors open. She found a vampire in her last year with them sitting in a seat across from Alaric. "Excuse me, Jeannette, Dr. Saltzman and I have matters to discuss." Caroline waved a hand at the door.

The girl looked to Ric before grabbing her bag and heading out the door. Going to the doorway, Caroline looked at the students

"Sorry, office hours are over for today!" She smiled and slid the door closed. Rounding on Alaric, Caroline marched over to grip the back of one of the chairs facing her demented co-parent. "Ric, do you mind telling me what in the hell you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"I'm doing what needs to be done. And as I made it clear to Emma: You're with me, or..." Getting up, Alaric moved to his weapons closet.

Caroline sped in front of him and crossed her arms over her chest. "She is OUR daughter. This is OUR school. We make decisions together, or not at all!"

Alaric leaned down to glare at her. "Your boyfriend and his big mouth are the reason we are in this!"

"You know that's not true!" Caroline cried.

"You're blind when it comes to him, Caroline!" Alaric shouted. "You were in love with him when you were a teenager, and apparently you never grew the hell up! Now, it might cost us our kid!"

"Damn it, Ric! That is not fair! You know those people are a bunch of intolerant, ass-hats, who just wanted an excuse to pick on someone! And, guess what: They found one!" Rolling her eyes, Caroline tried to calm down. "What do you want me to tell Li when you get yourself killed, rushing into something you don't know anything about? What do you want me to tell her?"

"Tell her I was fighting for her sister!" Ric retorted. "You know, because some of us are too busy re-planning our weddings!"

Now, Caroline narrowed her eyes. "I tried to find Jos. I went to find her. And she was gone! Alright!"

Alaric paused, his eyes registered shock before he shook his head. "Then you didn't look hard enough. The witches will find her."

Caroline nodded. "Then you still die..."

Rolling his eyes, Ric walked away. He had other weapons on the grounds. A knock on the door made him open it. "Yes?"

"There is a witch casting a spell outside the gates. Ms. Tig won't allow us out to find out what's going on!" one of the newer wolves reported.

Alaric turned to look at Caroline. "What did you do?" He took off before she could reply. Caroline followed him at a human pace. She knew what he would find.

"Bonnie!" Alaric shouted from the other side of the gate. Bonnie continued chanting as she and Caroline stared at each other. Raising a hand, Caroline watched her friend fade away. "She just performed an illusionary spell to covering the world that our school burned to the ground, with no survivors. We are also bound to this place with no way of contacting the outside world until a Bonnie lifts the spell." Turning her back on Ric, Caroline headed back to the school.

"What about Elizabeth?" Ric shouted.

"She needs two parents. Living, breathing parents, not suicidal ones."

"And Klaus?"

Caroline tried to think too long about that one. "He'll wait," she called back. "However long it takes," she muttered to herself, entering the school. She had major damage control to do.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following, and reviewing. **

**Be safe,**

**-J**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello, my lovely readers. Someone else finds out about Jake and Klaus has a conversation with his mother. On with the show…**

Chapter 18: That Could Solve All My Problems

_Fred_

Another day at Mystic Falls High. Fred Lockwood counted each day down. He was a senior. And, in spite of tracking Hope Mikaelson TO Another freakin' country, and declaring the importance of this milestone; Fred wanted to see the end. Maybe it was because this last year-before "adulthood" set in-had become tainted by the asshats who were going around grabbing their friends off the streets. Personally, Fred was ready to set off on new adventures. He wanted to go back to Europe, and climb a mountain, visit the Pyramids in Cairo. Swim in the oceans. Fight a shark. He wanted to live. And he also knew exactly who should be at his side: Hope. He could wait. One of these days, she would stop grieving Jacob freakin' Salvatore. With luck, she would remember who had been there for her, so many times. Then it would be their time.

Just the thought of being with Hope-not becoming a one-stand she would think of from time-to-time over her vast lifetime-but being her love; left Fred in a good mood. He walked down the hall with a spring in his step. Shooting a smile to his fellow students, Fred did not mind getting through today. To make things even better, he caught sight of Hope. She stood at the end of the hallway. He could not see anyone else with her. Good. Maybe he could talk her into having lunch with him.

Fred made his way through the milling student body, almost within reach of Hope when she turned a corner and disappeared. He started to follow her but someone caught hold of his sleeve. "Freddy!" Whoever it was did not sound happy.

Turning, Fred relaxed. It was just Sam. "Sammy! What's u-"

The last word never made it out of Fred's mouth. Instead, Sam's left hand, in the form of a balled fist, connected with Fred's mouth, preventing the last word from being spoken. "Shit!" Fred cried, hand going to his mouth. "What the hell was that for?" He demanded, brown eyes wide as he stared at the smaller boy.

Sam had his fists raised and the look of rage of his face told Fred something was under the boy's skin. "You know what you did, Freddy!" Sam punched Fred in the nose this time and Fred rocked backwards. The kid was barely pulling his punches. Although Fred would heal, he did not enjoy the metallic taste of blood on his lips and the feeling of broken cartilage in his nose.

"Sam." Fred held up his hands. "I do not want to hurt you-"

A bitter laugh exploded from Sam. "You don't want to hurt me? Is that a joke?" He shook his head. "You could have so many girls, but you had to pick on her! I love her!" He moved to slug Fred, again.

This time Fred pivoted, raising his fists to block his face. His mother taught how to fight. And if he Had to fight back; this would not end well for Sam. "Look, Sammy, I don't know what you heard-"

"You slept with a Mikaelson!" Sam cried. He let out a roar, and dove at Fred. Unfortunately, for them both, a bunch of kids had decided to cluster round. Someone shoved Fred forward, and Sam collided with him. They fell to the floor, rolling around while Fred tried to piece together what Sam just said. Was Sam still in love with Hope?

"I thought you were over her, man." Fred shoved Sam off of him.

Sam glared back. "I will love her for-ever!" He lunged at Fred, knocking them into a locker bay. The metal bent with their combined weight slamming into it.

"Sam!" Fred yelled as Sam punched him in the gut.

Finally, Fred jammed his foot between them, and sent Sam flying into the opposite wall. The boy slid down it, puffing out air before his eyes rose, and Fred saw the vampire underneath the visage of teen boy. "Sam, don't-" Fred warned his friend.

Rising to his feet, Sam's mouth opened, and he would have shown the entire hallway his fangs; if someone did not distract them. "What in the bloody hell is going on here?"

A teen girl came through the throng. Her expression was like a thunder cloud. Her blue eyes flicked from Fred to Sam. "One of you tell best yell me what is the meaning of this?" She waved a hand in the direction of where the fight had taken place.

"You slept with him!" Sam cried, glaring at Fred. Sam's fangs had disappeared, but his desire to rip Fred's head off had not. "He's my friend, Temis! Why? Isn't it enough you broke my heart?"

Fred's eyed went from Sam to Artemis Gerard. Temis looked as confused as Fred felt. "No! NO!" Holding up his hands, Fred shook them. "I did NOT sleep with Temis!" He glanced at her. "Not that you aren't hot. Just, like Sam said: I wouldn't do that..."

Temis rolled her eyes and brushed her mass of blonde curls being her back. "You believe I would do that?" Her eyes bore into Sam whose eyes dropped to the floor and he slowly shook his head. She turned to the other students. "The show is over. Be good children, and go away! Shoo!" She waved her hands, pursing her lips, and waited.

When the hall was clear, Temis followed her arms and looked to Fred. "Do you know why someone would start such a vulgar rumor about us?" Her dark eyes burned into Fred.

Shaking his head, Fred ran a hand through his dark hair. "I..."

"You..." Temis rolled her eyes. "We do not have all day, love. Spit it out."

"I might have slept with..."

"Hope?" Eyes rounding, Sam looked horrified. "You had sex with Hope Mikaelson."

"And you thought better of Hope than me?" Temis snapped, glowering at Sam. She rolled her eyes. "And worse yet, you thought you had a right to fight someone because of some absurd claim you have on me? It is my bloody body! I will do as I please, with whom I please!" She growled at Sam.

Now, Fred was beginning to feel sorry for Sam as Sam shrank in on himself. "I still love you..." Sam said, quietly.

Temis' brows rose. "Then buy me flowers, don't beat someone bloody, and risk exposure!" With a roll of her eyes, she turned, and stalked away.

Sliding to the floor, Sam stared at his feet. With a sigh, Fred headed over to stand over his friend. "Women are complicated."

"Yeah?" Sam continued to stare at his feet. "I'm never going to get her back."

Fred held out a hand and jerked Sam to his feet. "Sammy, my boy, let me tell you what I know about women." Sam looked at Fred with a doubtful expression. "They will do what they're gonna do. They want you. They don't want you. They're hurt, and pissed off, ya give 'em time. Space. If she still likes you; she'll let you know."

"How?" Sam said as Fred pulled him away from the wall and slung an arm around Sam's shoulders.

"You still hang out with some of the same people, right?" Sam nodded. "Well, one day, you ask her if she wants to dance. If she says: No. She's probably still pissed. If she says: Yes, you dance with her. And you tell her all things you like about her. And you buy her flowers. Or write her stuff. Or whatever it is you did to make her like your skinny-ass to begin with."

A small smile appeared on Sam's face. "You think any of that works?"

"It's helped me with lots of girls." Fred glanced at the clock overhead. "Want to get out of here?"

"We still have classes," Sam replied.

Fred titled his head back and laughed. "This coming from the guy who just tried to kick my ass, up, and down, the hallway?" Brows rising, Fred shook his head. "No, no, Salvatore. Today, you proved that you have a wild streak, and as a bad boy, welcoming another bad boy to the club; I say it is time for you to break some more rules. And that means we're gettin' out of here!"

Sam sighed. "Okay..." He paused. "Where are we going?"

"I say we go to a dive bar and start a real fight." Fred suggested. When Sam's eyes rounded, Fred laughed. "Okay. We'll start out slow. Pizzeria. Just outside of town. Serves the best pepperoni pie you've ever tasted."

"Better than my dad's?" A skeptical look appeared on Sam's face.

Laughing, Fred shook his head. "Not that good. Come on." He tugged Sam towards the double doors and to freedom. He left put a low howl as they left, running towards the parking lot. The only thing that would make this better would be having Hope with them. But Fred could wait.

~0~

On the way back from the pizzeria, Fred felt slightly buzzed. He and Sam had shared a pitcher of beer-Fred drinking two-thirds of it-. Now, he stared out the open window of Sam's Camaro. Hand dipping down, and then up again. Fred enjoyed the feel of the open air on his skin. He'd like to be able to turn. To run free, and wild, through the woods. But he couldn't do that. Not now. His mother would freak if he were taken. And Gwen Lords was known for her temper. She would risk life and limb, to free him. Fred would do anything to keep his mom out of danger.

Settling into the passenger side of the car, he hummed the tune to a song he'd heard the night of the party when he and Hope had hooked up. "Tonight, you're lookin' like the color red. And I can't, can't stop thinkin' about how it felt..." Other lyrics wanted to join the ones that just popped up, but Sam's phone buzzed, interrupting the song's stream.

Sam dug his phone out of his jeans' pocket. His eyes went down to the screen before he replaced it with a frown.

"Something wrong, Sammy?" Fred inquired, his hand still riding an invisible wave, outside of the car window as he turned to look at Sam.

Sam's head turned toward the driver's side window. "Nope. Mom just called. She wanted me to drop by the house, and pick up something for her."

"Cool. Means I can skip geometry." Fred eyed Sam. He noted how the vampire's fingers clutched the steering wheel a little tighter. "Unless you don't want to..."

"No. It's cool. I actually have extra credit for art. And Ms. McPhee is cool with people not showing up. Artists being artists. Or something like that." Sam chuckled. It ended in a cough as his hands relaxed and tightened on the wheel. His eyes narrowed and Fred turned away. Whatever was going on: it did not have to do with Dr. Elena Salvatore.

Minutes later, Sam pulled into his family's driveway. Fred slid down in the passenger seat, closing his eyes, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm gonna take a nap while you grab that thing for your mom."

"Right." The sound of a seatbelt clicking, and a door opening, told Fred Sam was leaving. One missippi. Two missippi. Before he got to three, Fred allowed one eyelid to pop open. Sam was already at the Salvatores' front door, digging his key out. The door opened, and Sam went in, closing the door behind him.

Taking another, long moment, Fred waited until Sam had been in the house for two minutes before he eased the door open. He slid out and pushed the door closed. He edged around the side of the house and moved to stand a couple of feet from the closest window. He did not intend to go in. He intended to listen.

"I can get some on my way back," Sam was saying.

"Right then. And in the meantime, I'll try to not dry out."

"You know my mom is struggling to sneak me bags!" Sam, again.

"Yes. I know, Samuel." Pause. "You might want to return before your little friend comes sniffing about the door."

Sam said something, but Fred did not wait to find out what it was. He'd already headed back to the car. He had to beat Sam there. Opening the door, he slid back in, and closed his eyes. His body relaxed into the seat while his heart pounded in his chest, replaying the conversation he'd just heard. It seemed impossible.

Taking the same slow, deep breaths he would use to avoid turning; Fred steadied his heartrate before Sam made it to the car. His eyes opened as Sam slid behind the wheel. Yawning, Fred stretched his arms and legs and looked at Sam through hooded eyes. "Back so soon?"

"Yup." Shoving his key in the ignition, Sam placed his hand on the gearshift, and eased back out of the drive.

"Your mom will be happy," Fred muttered.

"Huh?" Sam looked at Fred, his eyes wide.

Smiling, Fred stared at Sam for a little too long. "You got that thing she asked for. What did you think I meant?"

Sam let out a laugh. "Nothing."

Turning to look away, Fred frowned. All of his happiness had drained away the moment he recognized Jacob freakin'' Salvatore's voice. Jacob was back. Somehow.

~0~

That night, Fred laid on his back. He contemplated the tiny cracks in the ceiling. They needed to paint them. But not everything could not be covered up, like how Hope had acted the night of the rave. She'd seemed to be enjoying herself. Then something happened. She'd become distracted and sad.

They had not spoken much since that night. Now, Fred knew why. Jacob had come home. He must have appeared to Hope during the party. Then the asshats showed. It interrupted their epic reunion. But Fred knew little could stand in the way of those two. They would see each other out, again, and again.

Finally, Fred could not stand to left alone with his thoughts any longer. He pushed himself up, and strode out of his room, through the small living room, and out the door of the apartment. Taking the two seconds to lock the door, Fred dropped his key back into his pocket and ran downstairs. He decided to walk across town, instead of using his car.

Fred had to stop himself from walking too quickly. He pulled up the hood of his jacket and lowered his head. He did not want to stop and to talk to anyone he might find out at this hour. It was after nine. Most of the residents of Mystic Falls were watching TV, or grocery shopping, or reading their kids bedtime stories, eating a late dinner. They were not taking a stroll, to stalk their best friend's boyfriend.

The wind kicked up, but Fred did not mind. He just kept walking until he was on the Salvatores' block. And he was not the only one. As he moved along the side of the street where their house lay; Fred noted a familiar car. Hope's. Getting close enough, he could see her sitting behind the wheel. Her eyes were locked on the house. She did not look happy. Maybe it was because she still felt guilty over Fan. Maybe it was because Jake did not come out to play.

After a couple of minutes, she turned away, and her car started up. Still... Fred felt sure she would be back. Probably that night. She'd ditch her car, like he had, and she and Jake would wonder off somewhere to strip each other and...and...

Visions of Hope on top of Jake. Under him. Calling out his name. They drove Fred mad. His fingers curled into fists. He'd known the first time he saw her that she was his mate. But she wanted to be with a vampire. Not even a true bloodsucker. A tragedy of a creature. Half-demon, and half -powerless witch. A cosmic joke, without a punchline. How could she want him?

Gritting his teeth, Fred marched past the house, and down the block. His mind was so full of ugly images that he did not see the unmarked black van, at first. His mind focused on it as it stopped at the corner of the street he had just turned down.

Instinct told Fred to run. He needed to get the hell out of here. The front door opened. One of the many asshats got out. He had a weapon attached to a handle. He swung the handle over his shoulder, keeping the gun, or whatever it was, laid across his chest. Fred could act like he was visiting someone, and then take off.

The asshat made his way across the street and began to head toward Fred. This was the moment.

Fred did not think. He simply moved down the sidewalk. This could solve all his problems. Just one word. Jacob. Vampire. Around the corner. Well, more than one word...

Stopping, Fred opened his mouth. "Do you know what time it is? I forgot to charge my cell."

The asshat looked Fred over. Then he glanced at his watch. "9:23. Kid, go home. There are things you don't want to mess with. Your parents will be happy."

"Sure. Thanks." Fred continued on. Jacob got lucky. Fred could not do that to Damon, who taught Fred how to drive. Or Dr. Salvatore, who he still went to for check-ups. And he definitely could not do that to Sammy, one of his closest friend. But Jacob might not be so lucky next time.

_Klaus_

Fingers pressed to the wooden door, Klaus Mikaelson paused. He could hear the ragged breathing of the woman who had come to rest beneath his roof. His mother. His enemy. His eyes darkened as he thought of all the pain and suffering this one woman had inflicted upon him, and so many he cared for. Kol was right. Klaus should throw her out on the street. She did not deserve his pity.

Eyes closed, Klaus could feel a thousand years' worth of anger and resentment fall on his shoulders. It made his nails turn to claws, digging into the wood. Taking a shuddering breath, Klaus allowed his nails to retract. It would not be that much longer before he, and his mother, were rid of each other.

Moving to the opposite wall, Klaus decided to take pleasure in glaring the closed door to death. Caroline would tell him to go in. She would advise him to make peace with his mother. This may be his last chance. However, Esther Mikaelson was to impolite to stay dead. Klaus felt sure she would crawl her way back into his life, make a wreck of it, and then shrug off the mortal coil, once again.

Klaus rolled his eyes at his own inner turmoil and began to pace the length of the hall. There were many things he would like to say to his mother. Things like: If you believe I will ever forgive you for trying to end my child; you're insane! Or: Hope may not understand what a horrible a mistake bringing you back was, but I will not allow you to show her the folly of her ways! Possibly: If you had loved me, you would have not have tried to end me, time, and time again!"

No. Klaus would not mention love. Esther's love was a tainted, slithering, choking thing, which ended in tears and recriminations, for anyone who cared for her. No. She would not hear him demand for her to be a mother to him. Not at this late date. He would not show her how she hurt him.

Pausing outside the door, Klaus could hear Esther still clinging to life. His fingers wrapped 'round the doorknob. He eased the door open. Silence filled the room. All but Esther's labored breathes as she lay dying in the guest bed.

With silent footsteps, Klaus made his way across the room. He stood above his mother. His head tilted as he watched her slumber. One hand wished to grab the empty pillow beside her head and press it to her face. His fingers twitched at his side. He could already feel her life draining away as she clawed at him, her legs pumping, kicking at the bed. All of these would be wasted expenditures of energy, bringing her that much closer to the inevitable.

When it was finished, Klaus would drop the pillow. His hand would go down to smooth her eyelids closed. He would arrange her hair to fan out on the pillow as it did when he was small. Leaning down, he would press a tender kiss to her forehead, and he would say: "Rest, now, Mother." Then he would leave the room, and close the door behind him.

Esther's eyelids rose. Klaus stared down at her. "Mother."

"Niklaus." Esther stated back at him. "Have you come with news?" She asked, her voice hoarse.

Klaus took a seat beside her. "No." He smoothed the covers. "There is no cure." His eyes flicked upward to study Esther's face.

Esther's expression did not change. "The Spirits have told me as much..." She surprised Klaus by placing her hands over his. "Do not allow your temper to be your master."

Scoffing, Klaus looked away. "You believe I will take your advice because you are frail, Mother?" A smirk played at the corners of his mouth. "Do not mistake my generosity for good will. If you have anyone to thank; it is Caroline. Oh, yes, and the granddaughter that you once meant to make a coffin of for her crib." His eyes darkened and his hands itched for the pillow once more.

"Niklaus, my stubborn child..." Esther shook her head and attempted to sit up. A cough caused her body to shudder, and she let out a loud cry of pain. Gritting his teeth, Klaus placed his arms around her. He leaned back, easing her up. One arm went out as he held her against his chest-as she had once done for him as a babe-and retrieved the pillow he'd favored for a murder weapon. He placed the pillow behind his Mother's back.

Now, able sit up, Esther looked more like herself, somewhat imperious, and full of power. This is how Klaus preferred her. It was easier to hate her then.

Folding her hands in her lap, Esther stared at Klaus. "There is a time that you will feel alone-"

A loud chuckle rose up in Klaus, evolving into laughter that made his head fell back. It took him a moment to contain himself, and he was still smiling when he met his mother's eyes. She did not seem as amused. "Oh, Mother, did The Spirits give you that line, or did you make it up, all on your own?" He searched her eyes. "Truth be told, I never felt less alone in my life." He continued to smile until Esther continued.

"Niklaus, there is a time in which you will find your child has been taken from you. Your love is unable to stand at your side. You will feel all of the darkness that once guided your hand and led you to make your mark on the world." Her hand darted forward, and took his hand, clutching it in her own. Her eyes burned into to him with an intensity he had not seen since she returned. "You must not allow yourself to fall to the darkness, my son, or you will lose everyone you hold dear!"

Klaus felt his throat close up as Esther's eyes filled with tears and her hand fell from his. Her breathing became erratic, and her eyes fluttered closed. "Mother?" Klaus called. He leaned closer to her. "Mother, are you alive?" She did not move. "Mother, so help me..." Hands closing around her shoulders, Klaus shook Esther until her eyes reopened. His head fell and he let out a shaky breath.

His eyes were still closed when he felt a hand in his curls. Esther's hand drew down to his wet cheek. "Heed my words."

"Why couldn't you have been like this when I needed you most?" Klaus demanded, quietly. "Why did you have to bind my wolf, and create this never-ending circle of tragedy?" His eyes rose to meet his mother's, his mouth turned down in a deep frown.

"Mikael. He's your father..." Esther sighed. "Two men. So much alike in temper." Her hand went down to his shoulder. "Ansel. He would have been good for you. But Mikael. He's your father. I did not want you two to destroy each other. And to know that I betrayed him. Well, as I said, you two are so much alike. Father. Son. If only you had both been born to another time. A time in which he could have seen past your paternity and remembered that he loved you."

"You call that love?" Klaus shook his head. He moved to get up.

"Niklaus, Mikael still has a reason to be here. The Spirits have seen it. He is your weapon. They will not see him, until it is too late."

Again, Klaus felt annoyed. "You want me to use Father?" He rolled his eyes. "He will never agree to help me. Perhaps I should have Freya return. He might listen to her. However, he'll might have hardened his heart to even the likes of her."

"No, Niklaus. It must be you." Esther watched him closely.

Rolling his eyes, Klaus smirked. "Right then. Well, I suppose I aught to go, and fetch the man who has hated the sight of me for well more than a thousand years." He sounded chipper as he, again, tried to leave the room.

"Klaus..." Klaus bit back a nasty retort, and turned to stare down at his mother.

"Marry Caroline and be happy." Her words made his brows rise. "She opened your heart. I saw glimpses of the son I once knew, before I passed over to The Other Side for the last time. She brought out the man I knew you would become one day..." She seemed to be delusional.

A smile crossed Klaus' face. "She'll be happy to hear you said so."

"And Hope... I wish I had an opportunity to tell her... To tell her how truly sorry I am for all of the pain I caused in the beginning of her life. She is..." Inhale. "...a lovely girl... She will...unite them... If she survives... She has to survive the war to come... I love you both, my son..." Esther suddenly convulsed, her body shaking. Klaus moved go her side. His eyes rounded and his hands moved to still her shaking as she wailed in pain, and then stilled.

"Mother!" Klaus felt tears rolling down his cheek as he buried his cheek in her shoulder. "Don't go!" He clung to her as the warmth left her body, and his own body shook as he knelt on the bed, rocking back and forth.

~0~

Under the cover of darkness, the Mikaelson family made their way to what the children referred to as The Quarry. Klaus carried their mother from the car. She laid under a sheet that Hope had chosen. He watched soberly as Elijah and Theo made a raft. The siblings had agreed to burn her in the water. The ash would sink to the bottom of water by full light.

Rebekah went about choosing a log, with care, and returned. Laying their mother down, Klaus took a step back. He'd already rid himself of all emotional attachment to the woman who formly resided within the flesh and bone of this body.

Hope knelt down. She placed her lips to her grandmother's forehead through the sheet and then got up, a tear running down her cheek as she smoothed the skirt of her black dress. Hayley came over to lay her chin on top of their daughter's head.

Artemis laid a white rose on the soon-to-be pile of dust. Theo bent to press a hand to Esther's shoulder before he locked hands with his little sister. They both wore somber blue outfits. Although Temis' skirt flared outward, and she might be going to a party, or a funeral, as she twirled a matching parasol in one hand. How did she choose these fashion statements?

Klaus looked over to see Elizabeth. She stood by a tree, arms wrapped around herself. Again, she wore her sister's clothing: a black, hooded sweater, and a pair of dark jeans. She seemed to feel Klaus' eyes on her. Elizabeth slowly made her way over to stand beside him as Rebekah lit the pyre, and Elijah pushed the raft out.

The sound of someone singing made Klaus look over, to find James ambling towards them. He had his hands shoved deep in his black suit pants. And Klaus could hear an echo of his mother's singing to Kol when Kol was a small boy with a fever. James moved to edge of the water, still singing. Kol and Davina had decided to forefieght the ceremony, but their son had seemed to have a different opinion.

Marcel wrapped his arms around Rebekah who had broken down.

Elijah moved to place his hands on Hayley's, and Hope's, shoulders, and stared at the water.

Hand going out, without looking, Klaus felt Elizabeth's hand lock with his own. When the song came to an end, he looked to see she had tears coursing down her face. Without a second's thought, he pulled her to him. His arms wound around her, and she buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing. He knew she missed Josette, terribly, and keeping it bottled was tearing her apart.

"What's it mean? The song?" Elizabeth asked, calming down, and pulling away. She wiped at her face with the back of her hand.

"It's about a mother, who loves her children so much that she offered her very soul up to the Gods; so that her children might live in peace." Klaus watched as the pyre floated in the new light as the sun rose.

Elizabeth nodded. "I would do that. If I ever have kids." She jutted her chin out. "I would do it for Jo, now, if I could."

"She knows." Klaus watched the girl pause, and look at him before returning to look at the sunrise. "I have to go and speak with Marcel..."

Elizabeth nodded. She seemed shocked when Klaus leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. Turning, he strode over to Marcel with purpose.

Marcel seemed to note Klaus' attitude and followed him away from the main group. "What's up?" He folded his arms over his chest and waited for the man who raised him to speak.

Klaus looked to Hope and Elizabeth. "I must leave town for a day. Can I trust that you and Bekah will look after Hope and Elizabeth, while I am gone?"

"Sure." Marcel noted. "Not allowed to ask where you're going, am I?"

"No."

"Good luck."

Klaus nodded. He took one, last look at his family before he strode off. He had a father to hunt down.

~0~

According to Freya's scrying, Mikael should be somewhere in this town. Calling it a town sounded like a joke. Population less than fifty. Only real business: the local bar. Of course, it made it easier for Klaus to locate Mikael. There was always that...

Klaus smirked as a biker ran out and past him. The man had a look of terror on his face as he fled the scene. The closer Klaus drew, the louder the screams became. Then, they ended. Honestly, Klaus felt somewhat disappointed. It looked like Mikael had done all the dirty work. Perhaps next time.

Hands going up, Klaus shoved the doors open, and strode in. The first thing he saw was the bartender, who would never be a bartender again. A pool cue had scewered the man to the mirror behind him. Of course, the man was not really a man. He had been a vampire. Klaus felt himself chuckling. This had been one of the vampire bars that The States had to offer. No longer would it be serving warm pints of blood, with a beer chaser.

Leaning over the bar top, Klaus grabbed a bottle of whiskey and two glass. He felt sure Mikael could hear over the country music coming from the jukebox. "Niklaus!" Mikael spat out, and Klaus turned with a grin.

"Father!" Klaus watched Mikael's gaze darken. "You missed mother's funeral. It was lovely. James, Kol's son, has an exceptional voice. You'll be sorry you missed out."

"Bloody abominations-" Mikael growled out.

Klaus nodded. "Yes. Well, I did not come for us to spare. I came because Mother told me something." He poured a drink and shoved it down the bar.

Mikael continued to seethe. "I do not care what that infernal woman-'"

"We all die, including Freya, and her child; if you do not help me!" Klaus filled a glass, and held it up to toast. "So, what do you say? Work with the devil you know, or risk the ones you love." His brows rose and Mikael grumbled about Klaus being unnatural before Mikael picked up his glass and downed it. It was good enough for Klaus. "To us," Klaus said, "may we live to tell the tale."

**Answer to guest review:**

**Guest: Hey! Thank you for taking the time review. Obviously, we have a Jake mention, and he will be back on chapters 21 and 22, and he will play a BIG part in MF Humanity Part II. Can't say more. Spoilers! :)**

**Thank you for reading, faving, following, and reviewing. **

**Happy Halloween! **

**Be safe,**

**-J**


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